Returning Home
by lostmoonchild
Summary: Adjusting to change was never easy. Now that Hiei's home, there are bound to be new changes both good and bad. When a ghost from a past assassination comes looking for revenge, lives will be lost and bonds pushed to their breaking points.
1. Prologue

lostmoonchild: The heck? What's going on? Oh, wait. Could this be a new story? Let's see… ah, okay. I know what this is. It's "Returning Home" starring our favorite fire demon and it's the final story in my little trilogy. Yesh! Okay, I hope to see some of the same peoples that reviewed my previous two stories as well as new peoples. Yes, I did have a few marshmallow fudge cookies and am working on killing a two liter bottle of Mountain Dew so hyperness is going to be a given.

Disclaimer: If I owned YYH, everything would be even more chaotic. And the Toguro brothers wouldn't be so damn creepy and Karasu would have gotten his head chopped off by Bui.

* * *

Prologue

He was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open. He wanted to sleep but if he went to sleep then he might not wake up. Well, he'd probably wake up to find one of those irritating ferry girls waiting for him and then when they got to the Reikai, he'd find his wife waiting for him and she'd tell him that Kuwabara and Yukina were taking care of their son now.

Hiei closed his eyes when he felt his mate's mind brushing against his, desperately pleading for him to come home. He wanted to go home but he couldn't. He could hear her voice within his mind and wanted desperately to respond, to tell her where he was. Somehow, whether it was because of his captors or otherwise, he found himself unable to tell her anything.

Even if he could tell her anything, what would he say? Could he tell her what he's been going through since he got captured? Did he expect her to understand the shame he felt at what they've done to him?

Anger filled his being, making him breathe softly in relief. Anger was good. Anger let him know that he was still alive. That he could still feel something.

The sound of the door opening reached his ears and the dark-haired man turned his head away. His eyes shot open when a familiar scent reached his nose and a familiar voice reached his ears. "Hiei?"

No one told his mate yet that he was there and he didn't know whether to be pleased or not. He didn't want his wife to see him in such a ragged looking state although he couldn't say that she hadn't seen him in various states before.

No, best keep her away for now until he was recovered enough not to scare her or their child. Let her live in ignorance just for a while longer. He would come home as soon as he was ready and they could be a family once more.

He asked about his family and saw the look that had crossed Kurama's face. "They're doing well. Danny's been working two jobs just to keep things together. Aaron's been doing well. It seems he's inherited your body structure though." Kurama said with a forced smile. "They've been keeping things together. Hasn't always been easy since Danny's been a single mother and with funeral expenses, well, let's just say that you coming home will be a blessing."

"What do you mean?"

Kurama hesitated a moment before answering, "Hiei, perhaps this would be better left alone until you're stronger."

"Tell me, fox!"

A sigh left Kurama's lips as he looked at his crimson-eyed friend for a moment before nodding. "Okay. It's not going to be easy to hear though." Kurama warned the fire demon.

Hiei frowned slightly. What the hell was so hard that even Kurama didn't want to explain it? "Just say it!" Hiei snapped.

With a solemn look, Kurama began to explain the nightmare that had taken place only a couple of years ago.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I know, somebody's probably about to demand what happened a couple of years ago. All I have to say is that I know and you will all find out. Until then, ladies and gents… and whatever non-anime loving people but read anime fan fictions anyway are… read and review!


	2. Chapter 1

lostmoonchild: Yay, a review. Yes, I am aware that the review was a question but oh well! A review's a review. First official chapter (I don't count prologues yet I write them. Where's the logic?) for this story and I hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: YYH isn't mine. Sorries.

* * *

Chapter One

He wasn't sure how they kept his rescue a secret or even what it was that he was expecting. Had his mate aged because of her human blood or had she remained the same? How had his family been while they were on their own?

Hiei knew that his son was now eight and trying to blend in with the rest of the human population. His hair had been cut short much his mother's displeasure and already the boy was resourceful. Somehow he had managed to get his hands on colored contacts so his eyes were more of a muddy brown instead of having his mother's eyes.

From what he had heard, Danielle was calling Aaron's wanting to blend in a mere phase. From what he was gathering, the boy just wanted to be human. Clearly he and Danielle would need to discuss the boy.

No, he had been gone for six years. She wouldn't want him to call any shots when it came to her parenting seeing as she had raised two children by herself and had been forced to bury the youngest. Despite everything that had happened, Danielle had been trying to keep things together.

Kurama took him to an apartment building where he said Danielle and Aaron lived. Already Hiei hated the neighborhood but he supposed that it was the best that Danielle was able to do seeing as Aaron had been enrolled in some kind of private elementary school. Such things, he knew, didn't come cheap and most of her paychecks must have gone into rent, tuition, and taking care of the family. "Today's supposed to be her day off but that's a situation where there are usually no promises." Kurama told him. "Hopefully she'll be home and not running around the apartment half naked."

From the one in Kurama's voice, that situation had happened before. "What does she do?" Hiei questioned.

"Every so often she'll do an assassination. Then she'll go work at a bar."

There was more to it; he could feel it. What wasn't he being told? Before Hiei had a chance to ask Kurama anything, they had gotten to the apartment. "Hi, Kurama." A boy no more than eight greeted as he opened the door and let them in. "Mom's sleeping. Want some egg rolls?"

"No, thanks. Did your mother have to work late last night?"

Hiei closed the door behind him and frowned slightly as he looked around the apaterment. The living room resembled his mate's rom when she was seventeen with art canvases and various art supplies lying around. "My mother's an artist. Some guy from America keeps buying her art for his kids." Aaron stated. "He just wants to fuck her."

"Aaron!" Kurama scolded.

"What? He does. Even Yusuke agrees that he does."

Was Yusuke's word some kind of law to the boy? "Yes, well, you could phrase it a bit differently. Your mother and Yusuke both were given mothers that weren't exactly the most responsible so their language is somewhat understandable." Kurama told him. "Don't you have school?"

"Ah, fuck!"

Grabbing his bag from one of the chairs, Aaron took off. "He rides the bus when he's running late and doesn't want to run. Sean and Maya will meet up with him in a few minutes." Kurama explained.

Why in the hell did it seem like Aaron was raising himself? What happened to Danielle wanting to take care of their children? "Fox, how long has been Aaron been taking himself to school?" Hiei asked cautiously.

Kurama moved around the kitchen, fixing them a cup of tea. For a while it seemed that he was going to avoid the question until he finally answered, "Ever since Danny decided that he can handle himself. The boy's powerful, Hiei, even though he doesn't look or feel like it."

"You needn't worry about him though. I'm not so neglectful that I'm not aware of when people enter my home even when I'm dead to the world."

"Good morning, Danny."

Hiei slowly turned around, seeing his mate standing by the table with dark bags under her eyes. Sleep deprivation. "Onna." Hiei stated simply.

Joy flashed across Danielle's features as she stared at Hiei, her heart beginning to race frantically. Hiei was home at last! Why hadn't Aaron said anything? They could be a family again!

As they held each other tightly, Hiei could feel his mate's tears soaking through his shirt. Gods he had missed her so much. How in the world could he have survived without having held her for so long? "I was beginning to think you weren't coming back. I could feel you slipping away from me so many times this past year that Yukina had to make sure I wasn't going to die." Danielle murmured into his chest.

If it weren't for Kurama being there, Hiei knew he would have taken her right then and there. Well, he supposed that he could knock Kurama unconscious. "For a while, I thought that I was going to die." Hiei told her.

Kurama cleared his throat as he set the tea onto the table. "Danny, we need to set down a few ground rules before I can leave you and Hiei alone." Kurama warned the hanyou.

"No sex in front of Aaron. That one's a given now go."

"Deciding that her wanting to hold Hiei was more important than killing him for not telling her, Kurama took a calm breath. Danielle never was any fun when about to be told something that she wasn't going to like. "No sex period for a while. Hiei's still recovering and we all can still remember-"

"While jumping my mate's bones is on the list of things that I want to do, kicking your asses is higher up on the list. I'm just too tired to get angry and work up the energy to throw stuff at you."

Thank Kami for miracles. "Since Hiei won't tell you, there's a few things you should probably know." Kurama took a seat and set their tea where they'd be sitting. "Come on, Hiei, you know she needs to know all of the rules."

"Rules?" There was a warning tone in her voice that told both males not to drag the whole thing out.

"Come on, onna. We'll tell you what they are."

In the event this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up. Her bosses could fire her for all she cared but she wanted to keep this dream.

Danielle breathed softly as she felt her mate's arms around her and his heat sending chills through her body. Gods, how long had it been since this bed of hers had seen a man? Six years? Of course the bed wouldn't be seeing any action between the sheets for a while but that day would come.

"What'd they do to you, koi?"

Her eyes widened as the sentence slipped from her lips before she had a chance to stop it. The scars that adorned his body should have told her but she needed to know why he refused to be completely nude in front of her. Didn't he see that she still thought of him as handsome?

Hiei held her tightly against him and closed his eyes. The time would come when he'd tell her the truth. "Not now," he breathed.

No, they wouldn't do this now. Her mate was still hurting and she needed to make his pain go away. He needed her to take care of him until he was ready to face what demons haunted him.

"I heard your dad's home."

Aaron looked over at Sean for a moment before shrugging slightly. "Mom's going to be happy when she finds him there." Aaron answered with a shrug. "I really don't care."

Maya jumped on the fire hybrid's back, her arms wrapping around his shoulders. "Why not? Your long lost father returns and they're probably doing it right now." Maya commented lightly.

"Doubt it. Mom didn't get home until early so she probably didn't have the strength to yell at your dad so it's safe to assume they're not doing anything."

"You'd be surprised."

"No one wants to think about their parents doing that kind of thing, Maya! Even if their mom is hot." Sean chastised his sister.

Aaron growled softly before throwing his bag at Sean. It didn't take much to figure out who Sean had a crush on but it bothered Aaron to know that his mother was the object of Sean's crush. "Fixate on Auntie Yukina or Keiko or somebody other than my mom." Aaron snarled.

Sean laughed and tossed the bag back. "No chance, bud. Dad says that it's a shame to let such beauty go to waste and I tend to agree." Sean responded.

Pushing Maya off of him, Aaron leapt for Sean's throat.

_Ring. Ring._

Damn it. She should have remembered to disconnect the phone. No, what if it was important? No way in hell was she going to work.

Reaching over Hiei, Danielle grabbed the phone and answered. "M'ello?" Danielle mumbled. "Yeah, who's this?" Groaning in response, she pulled herself out of bed. "Yeah, okay. Don't get your panties in a bunch; I'll be there."

"Not going to work." Hiei said calmly as he held his mate."

"I know I'm not. Our son got into a fight at school."

"He win?" Hiei got up and pulled on his pants.

Danielle smiled faintly at Hiei's question as she got dressed. "Against Kurama's boy? Honey, they're evenly matched." Dadnielle laughed.

Hiei pulled his mate into a warm embrace and kissed her neck. "Me and the boy are going to need to spend time together then." Hiei murmured. "If he fights anything like you."

"Manipulating fire at school? You're lucky that bought that stupid excuse! A lighter indeed." Danielle shouted at Aaron.

"He started it!"

"And you escalated it!"

Hiei watched his mate and son with interest before sighing. "Aaron, you're lucky none of those ningens saw you using fire without a lighter. Can you even imagine what they'd do?" Hiei questioned.

Anger flashed in the boy's eyes as he dug his nails into the palms of his hands. How dare he come in and pretend that he hadn't been gone for most of his life! "Shut up! You don't know anything! You weren't there when my sister was put in the hospital or when the doctor said that she wasn't going to wake up! You weren't there when Mom made the choice to let my sister go!" Aaron shouted.

"Aaron!" Danielle scolded.

Jumping up, Aaron ran out of the apartment with angry tears rolling down his face.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Wow, four and a half pages. Can you guys tell? I don't know if all of the chapters will be this long but I'm almost hoping that they will be. Anyway, read and review, flames will be accepted!


	3. Chapter 2

lostmoonchild: Yes, I'm still alive. Momma finally got a computer and now I'm happy to announce that my updates will be more… predictable. At least until hunting season starts up cause I'm already working again at the hunting lodge trying to get it ready. Anyway, I noticed that I accidentally uploaded chapter two from a different story so my cheeks went bright red and I quick got rid of it. New terminology: dumb auburn.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or anything else unless I say otherwise.

* * *

Chapter Two

Kids needed to come with some kind of manual that told parents exactly what needed to be done. No, knowing Danny the way that he did, the odds of her keeping whatever manual came with Aaron would have gotten thrown out the minute that their son was conceived. Hell, he couldn't even figure out which romp in the sack had resulted in Aaron's conception. Their deceased daughter's conception was simple enough to figure out although he couldn't fathom raising a kid by himself.

He'd need to remember to give his mate all of the thanks she deserved and then some.

Hiei was silent as he flitted through the city, trying to locate his son. Danielle had picked up the phone and started dialing numbers, letting their friends and family know that Aaron had taken off so he might show up. While she talked to Yusuke, Hiei told her that he was going to go look for the boy and left without waiting for her response.

If he was an eight year old kid, where would he have gone? A park? No, none of the parks in the city had anybody in them. He needed to think. It was clear that he missed his sister so maybe…

Picking up speed slightly, Hiei hurried towards the nearest cemetery.

"He came back, you know. I don't know if you'd like him very much. He just came in and started taking over like he didn't ditch us." Hiei heard Aaron say with sorrow in his voice. "I don't know why Mom even let him come back. You never saw Mom cry because she tried so hard to be strong for us but I saw her crying a few times."

Hiei was silent as he watched his son, seeing that he was sitting next to a stone box that must have held his sister's ashes. "Koenma still won't let us see you in the Reikai. He keeps telling Mom that you're okay but I don't think she really believes him. He's lied to her so much these past few years that it's a wonder why she keeps taking those missions. Do you think it's because they pay so well? Sometimes I think so.

"Mom came home with a bruise last night. I think one of the customers got a little rough with her again. The bruise was gone when I saw her earlier but I don't know if it was gone with Kurama and Hiei showed up earlier."

His son was calling him by his first name? Hiei bristled slightly but supposed that it was only fair. He may have sired the boy but he hadn't been there for most of his life. Until he showed his son that he wasn't leaving again, he'd let the boy continue to call him by his first name. "Your mother's been calling around for you." Hiei said as he stepped away from his hiding place.

Aaron stiffened and looked at his father before looking away. "She knows where I go. She just doesn't come here cause she feels bad for choosing to let my sister die." There was resentment in his voice. Did he secretly hate Danielle for choosing to let his sister die?

"From what I understand, she wouldn't have woken up."

"You don't know that!" Aaron shouted.

"Do you honestly think that your mother would have chosen to take your sister off of life support if she knew that she would've woken up?"

Both dark-haired hybrids stared at each other, one clearly furious and the other one indifferent. As Hiei looked at his son, he could see the loneliness in Aaron's red-violet eyes. He was different from his friends and from his classmates and knew it. He even realized that he was different than his parents. One half fire demon, one quarter human, and one quarter ice demon. A mixed hybrid. A mutt. He belonged to neither race and he realized it. "You don't know anything." Aaron said grumpily.

"Maybe no, but I'm going to try. There's only one question."

"What?"

"Are you man enough to try to be understanding or are you going to be a child and just throw a tantrum?"

Glaring hatefully at his father, Aaron slowly got up. "I'll see you later, Memori."

Someday he was going to figure out why in the hell his mate named their daughter that. Honestly, she was just setting the girl up for teasing had she survived to attend school. Aaron was a nice name. Naming a girl Memori was just pushing it a little. Something like Melody or Hope or maybe even Moriko would have been better.

Turning away from the red-violet-eyed boy, Hiei began walking with Aaron following.

"I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to send the police out for you two." Danielle commented when the two males came back to the apartment.

"I'm fine, Mom." Aaron answered as he went to his mother, letting her pull him into a hug.

Danielle's eyes were soft as she looked at her son before her attention flickered to her husband. "Honey, why don't you go to your room so your father and I can talk." Danielle suggested. "You can take that polish from my room and polish up your sword."

Aaron's eyes lit up with pure joy as he ran from the room to his mother's room before retreating to his room. "You bought the boy a sword." Hiei stated simply.

"Birthday present."

"How long ago?"

"Last year."

Hiei sat down at the table and looked at his mate for a moment before sighing. Somehow he had known that she would have gotten him a sword. "You named our daughter Memori." Hiei stated.

Danielle got up and started making some tea, her eyes showing sorrow. "Yes," she answered.

"Why?"

"She looked exactly like you. Our son got my eyes. Nothing of mine was in our daughter so I named her Memori."

"You were setting her up to be teased."

"I know, but we never did have to worry about that. That driver hit us and our little girl was internally decapitated. I checked the records in the Reikai and knew that our little girl wasn't meant to live so I decided after a few days that I'd take her off life support." A tear rolled down her face. "In a way, our little girl's still alive. I told the doctors to take whatever organs they could and give it to some other child that was in need."

That was the choice she chose to make and Hiei could understand the reason. Their daughter's heart was probably beating in some other child's chest, her eyes still seeing the world. Had they met the children that their daughter had saved? How many lives had been changed by one little girl?

Hiei closed his eyes for a moment before sighing. Even if he had been there for his daughter's birth and death, he wouldn't have been able to dissuade Danielle from doing what she wanted. Memori was what she named their daughter and it was their daughter that saved lives. "I just wanted to know why you named her Memori instead of something else." Hiei said softly as he got up and held his mate in his arms. "I'm not upset that you did what you had to."

Putting a calloused hand over hers and forcing her to put the teapot down, the fire demon placed a soft kiss on his mate's neck. "Hiei…" Danielle whispered as her body responded to the kiss. A solitary kiss and she wanted him to take her right there despite their son being awake.

Hiei pulled away when he heard the need in Danielle's voice and smelt her arousal. His mind raced frantically as he looked into her eyes, seeing the confusion and hurt that reflected. "I'm going to the fox's for a while." Hiei told her before quickly leaving the apartment.

Damn it. He hadn't meant to hurt her but he couldn't bring himself to do anything just yet. He needed to escape just for a couple of hours and then he'd hold her in his arms. He just refused to make love to her until the memories of his capture didn't hold him in such a tight grip.

Knocking on Kurama's bedroom window, he went in when August opened the window. "I need to speak with Kurama." Hiei told the woman.

August raised an eyebrow before nodding slightly. "Hon, let me calm the crazy bitch down and you talk to this crazy bastard." August said as she took the phone from her husband. "Okay, babe, it's me again. Yeah, Kurama's going to be busy for a bit."

Giving her husband a warning look that told him not to do anything stupid, the woman retreated to the kitchen leaving the two men alone. "I hurt her." Hiei told Kurama as he sat down.

"I know. She called in tears."

"I just held her and kissed her neck. When she responded, I let her go."

"That's what she said too. You didn't tell her, did you?"

How did someone tell their loved one what had happened? "How?" Hiei asked, dread filling his being. "How do I tell her what happened? She'll be-"

"Grateful that you told her. Hiei, she loves you with a passion and right now she doesn't know why you're being so strange with her. She actually was torn between you not thinking she was still beautiful and you being furious at her for her choices with Memori."

"How could she think that she's not beautiful? She's still the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen in both the Makai and in Ningenkai!" Hiei protested. "I'm not even upset at her for the choices she's made."

"Then go talk to her. Tell her the truth so she knows. Remember, nothing you say to her will make her think any less of you."

"You're certain."

"Yes."

Nodding slightly, Hiei left the apartment and flitted back to his mate. As he entered their apartment, he found his wife in the bedroom with tears rolling down her face. "I'm sorry." Hiei murmured as he sat down next to her and touched her dark hair. "Onna." She stiffened slightly. "Danny," he tried again. "We need to talk about something."

"I know I'm not as-"

"Don't say it." Hiei warned her. "That's not what we need to talk about."

He moved so his back was against the headboard, watching as his mate tentatively moved to be close to him. "Then what?" Danielle whispered. "What is there to talk about?"

Taking her hand in his own and placing a soft kiss upon her slender fingers, Hiei softly breathed in her scent and tried to ignore the salty scent of her tears. "I need to tell you what happened so you'll understand." Hiei replied as he put an arm around her. "Then you can decide whether you want me back in your bed."

* * *

lostmoonchild: What was it that happened? I'm sure you guys can guess but I dunno if I want to drag everything out or not. Will Aaron warm up to his father? Will Hiei be left alone? Stay tuned and find out! Read and review, flames are accepted.


	4. Chapter 3

lostmoonchild: I'm so happy right now cause I got me a new laptop. Okay, it belonged to a school that decided to upgrade their laptops so I ended up buying a used laptop but it works great so I'm happy. That means I can work on fanfictions when I'm out of the house so let's call it good and get on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or anything else unless I say otherwise so no suing.

* * *

Chapter Three

Some part of him said to be smart and not tell Danielle. If she knew then she would either be ashamed of his weakness or would accuse him of betraying her. If she asked if the other woman was pretty then what? What could he say if she asked?

There was such love in her eyes that Hiei was hesitant to tell her anything about what had happened. If he were tell her everything then that look would leave her eyes and be replaced by pity. He tried to gain strength from touching his mate's arm. "Was she pretty?" Danielle asked softly.

She knew? "How did you-"

"You won't look at me when I'm changing, you refuse to be naked near me. For crying out loud, Hiei, you ran away when you realized that I was getting aroused!" Tears gathered in her eyes. "I gave you my virginity and my heart! I bore two children for you!"

Hiei reached to touch her cheek only to have his hand slapped away. "Onna, listen to me. Compared to you, she wasn't worth looking at. If she hadn't captured me and forced herself onto me I wouldn't have even known she existed." Hiei reached for her again and touched her cheek. "Don't turn away from me, Danielle. Not again."

It was a tenderness that only a few could honestly say they saw with Hiei but she didn't want to hear whatever lies there were. The truth wasn't quiet when he pulled her into a arm embrace and screamed to her when his lips covered hers. There had been another woman but not in the sense that she had been thinking only moments before. His heart belonged entirely to her.

A dull ache appeared from between her legs as their kiss deepened and Hiei gently pushed her against the bed. Chills went down her spine as he moved so he was lying on top of her, his erection pressing against her hip. He was hard for her and no one else could have possibly hoped to have him while in life or in death.

Her eyes closed as he started rubbing against her, their breaths heavy. Would they make love tonight or would they tease each other into completion? What did Hiei have planned? "Onna." Hiei said calmly.

Danielle opened her eyes and watched as he softly touched her, silently urging her to sit up. Complying with his silently requests she raised her arms as he pulled her shirt off, pausing only a moment afterwards to stare at her with an intensity she hadn't known before. How was it possible that there were no flames to burn them?

Their lips clashed in a searing kiss as she grabbed the bottom of her mate's shirt and pulled it off of him. "You'll have to tell me who the bitch was that tried to take you from me so I can kill her slowly." Danielle murmured as Hiei tore her bra from her body.

Hiei didn't answer as he lifted his lover's hips and tore her pants off as well as her panties. He could feel his pants becoming tighter as he stared at the glistening dark curls that hid his prize from him. She wasn't fighting him for control tonight but maybe someday he would ask her to fight him.

He slowly undid h is pants and shed the remaining articles of clothing onto the floor. A hiss left his lips as he entered the now gasping woman, amazed at how tight she was after all these years. She had waited so patiently for him and now he was going to reward her for all of her patience.

Soft moans left Danielle's lips as Hiei filled her beyond anything she had ever felt before and moved harshly against her. She couldn't remember when he had last taken her like this and distantly wondered who had hurt Hiei enough that he had been anxious with her. Whoever the wretch was that had hurt her mate was going to die and she'd tear the bitch into a thousand of tiny pieces. When she was done she'd present the pieces to Hiei on a golden platter.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream as her entire body shuddered from the force of her orgasm. Hiei gave a sharp thrust that quickly reminded her that Hiei wasn't done. His thrusts were kept at a steady pace even as her nails dug into his shoulders and drew blood.

Their lips crashed together as Hiei released into her, filling her with his essence. They stared at each other, both panting for air and either moving from their position. "Do you still I'm not interested in you, onna?" Hiei inquired lightly.

Danielle smiled softly as she stared at her with a look of absolute adoration. "I might need a little more convincing." Danielle responded softly.

Feeling himself hardening again at her answer, Hiei smirked in response. He swore he was going to make her too sore to move properly in the morning. With that goal in mind, they began round two.

"Danny. Hiei. Rise and shine, lovebirds."

Hiei growled as he cracked an eye open and saw Yusuke standing at the foot of the bed with a shit-eating grin on his face. "Go away." Hiei snarled as he held onto Danielle.

"Koenma wants to talk to you two."

Danielle grabbed her pillow and threw it at her cousin in response. "Can't walk. Too sore." Danielle grumbled into Hiei's chest.

Yusuke's grin widened as he dodged the pillow and picked it up. "Go take a warm back and meet us at Kuwabara's in an hour." Yusuke told her.

"Fuck you."

"Do you want me to drag your naked ass to the kitchen with your son sitting in the living room eating breakfast?" Yusuke threatened. "Besides, it looks like you were fucking Hiei last night."

"Bastard. Fine, I'm up."

Hiei raised an eyebrow at the exchange before deciding that he'd be better off not knowing. "Kuwabara's?" Hiei questioned as he looked at the former Detective.

"Yeah. One hour." Yusuke gave them one more grin before leaving the room.

Not for the first time nor for the last Hiei cursed Yusuke and Koenma both. He had wanted to spend time with his family before the Reikai started anything but clearly he wasn't going to get his way. He'd have to wait until later on just to spend any time with them.

As he finished dressing he realized that Danielle was staring at an old family picture. "Onna?" Hiei questioned.

"I'm just wondering what the Reikai found out."

Embracing his wife, Hiei closed his eyes. "Mom! That guy who keeps buying your art's here!" Aaron shouted through the door.

"Fuck." Danielle hissed as she pried herself from Hiei's grasp.

Hiei followed her out to the living room and watched as she forced a smile. "Jaganshi-san, oyaho." The man said with a small bow.

"You don't need to be so formal." Danielle told him as she moved to a nearby closet. "Hiei, this is James Parks. Mister Parks, this is my husband Hiei."

Hiei nodded slightly as he eyed the man cautiously. With long light brown hair that had blonde streaks in it pulled back into a low ponytail, the man was admittedly charming in appearance. What was it that Aaron had said before? The man was just interested in getting in Danielle's pants? "Pleasure." James said with a small nod. "I was hoping, Danny-san, that you'd be willing to do a lunch meeting today."

"I'm sorry but we were planning on spending today together. My husband just got back a few days ago and we're all trying to readjust." Danielle pulled out a painting. "Here we go. I hope this is satisfactory."

She turned the painting so they could see it and Hiei couldn't help but smirk a little. The man was clearly interested in demons and Danielle couldn't help but paint a bunch of demons fighting against each other in a bloody scene. With a red and black background that had dead trees in the horizon, the painting was enough to send chills down the spines of any ningen. "I honestly don't know where you get your inspiration." James said as he moved closer to the painting. "I ask you for painting after painting of demons and you always manage to surprise me."

"It runs in the family, I suppose." Danielle said with a small wink to the two men in her life.

Aaron covered his mouth as he silently laughed while Hiei smirked. "I have a request to make for another painting." James said as he pulled a wad of bills from his pocket.

"Yes?"

"I want a sensual one. Male and female. Make it somewhere around explicit with all of the details."

Danielle frowned slightly as she thought about the idea, softly clicking her tongue in thought. "Mom?" Aaron questioned.

"May I have a day or two to think about it?" Danielle questioned.

"Of course I'll pay you very well."

"I don't doubt that, but a painting of such…" she paused a moment trying to figure out the right word to use. "Sensual details will require careful detail and with my son being only eight, I'd need to take great care to ensure that he and his friends won't come in and start messing with it."

James nodded and took the painting as he handed the wad of cash over to the woman. "Pleasure doing business with you. Mister Jaganshi, it was a pleasure meeting you. You have a very beautiful and talented wife and a very handsome son."

"I know." Hiei stated calmly as he watched the man leave. "Onna?"

Danielle set the money down on the coffee table and hugged her husband. "Business, darling." She turned to look at Aaron. "You get ready. We're going to see what Koenma wants."

Aaron groaned in response and headed back to his room to finish getting dressed. "We'll discuss this later." Hiei told the woman.

"That's if I don't have to work tonight." Danielle told him. "I couldn't sit around all day and just mooch off of family and our friends. As soon as I lost the baby weight, I went out and got a job. Selling my paintings helped pay the bills. Now they're getting Aaron through school."

"We'll discuss this later." Hiei repeated.

"You're damn right we'll discuss this later. I'll see if somebody will take Aaron for the night so we can discuss it without him hearing."

Aaron smiled as he came out of his room completely dressed and grinned at his mother as if he had just had some kind of interesting thought. "Hey, Mom, if I decide that I want to learn how to drive then can I learn?" Aaron questioned.

Lightly messing her son's hair up, Danielle kissed his forehead. "When you're older." Danielle told him with a pleasant smile. "Until then, walk and ride your bike."

Following his family out the door, Hiei couldn't help but notice how much their son loved his mother. Someday he hoped to have that same amount of adoration from the boy but until then he'd suppose he would find the strength to deal with it. Until then he'd see just what exactly the toddler wanted from him and his family.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I consulted my notes and got to thinking that maybe it would be someone from their past that was the cause of all of this. In order to figure out who exactly was behind the whole thing I had to look back at the first two stories so I have a general idea about what's going to happen and why. My only thought... the name. What should it be? That, my dear readers, will be answered with a price of two reviews. Love it? Hate it? Demand more? Tell me and I shall answer with a chapter. *is hyper*


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Hiei never truly approved of the oaf marring Yukina and he was grateful that none of their kids had any trait that showed the oaf as their father. Perhaps the only thing that indicated the children's father was their height. Everything other than their height was purely their mother.

From how quickly Aaron went to play with his friends and cousins, he understood that there was some important subject that needed to be discussed. "Roxanna's power suddenly spiked." Koenma said with a frown.

Danielle raised an eyebrow as she nestled against her mate. "We're married." Danielle responded with a small shrug.

August grinned at her friend before wiggling her eyebrows. "Oh, honey, you're cheating on me?" August asked with a teasing grin.

"The hell you talking about? Don't think for a moment I don't know what happened that one Christmas between you and Evan."

The demoness's cheeks turned bright red at the memory causing Danielle to snicker. "So what did happen?" Yusuke questioned with a perverted grin.

"That's for me to hang over August and you to wonder about." Danielle responded with a sigh. "So why are we here?"

Koenma looked flustered for a moment before answering, "Based on Hiei's description of his captor we were able to determine why exactly he was targeted. Do you remember a demon by the name of Yashino?"

Danielle closed her eyes a moment before nodding after a minute. "Yeah, sure. Assassination job from when we were fourteen." A frown appeared on her face as she opened her eyes. "Murdered August's parents. The hell does he have to do with anything?"

"Your report stated that there was what you assumed to be a prostitute in the bathroom. While you killed Yashino, August was preventing her from escaping."

"Yeah. That's not a crime."

"That prostitute was going to be his mate."

"Oh fuck."

They had seen the two women go into what they affectionately dubbed as "assassin mode" and watching them today was enough to send chills down their spines. "We'll need to hunt down this human contact." Danielle told August, tapping on the file they had been given. "Find out what they know about this Akira woman."

"The address of the contact appears to be the same as your old address back in the States."

"My mother wouldn't have had anything to do with demons. She hated me."

"Yeah, I remember."

Yusuke pulled his cousin into a hug and looked over her shoulder with calm brown eyes. "We'll have to take that chance, Danny." Yusuke said softly to some unspoken comment. "We know she's alive. We just don't know if she's still there."

Danielle nodded slightly and took a deep breath to settle her nerves. Had her mother grown more violent over the years or had she actually settled down? How would she respond to seeing Hiei or even Aaron? Could she bring herself to civility or would she be just as cruel as before?

Deciding that she couldn't keep her family a secret from her mother forever, Danielle looked at her mate with a forced smile. "How would you like to meet your mother-in-law?"

With the children dropped off at August's brother's house and after having escaped being crushed to death from the force of several hugs, the group headed towards where Danielle's mother was last known to live. "So how badly do you think she messed the house up?" August questioned lightly.

"Seeing as she hasn't gotten evicted or the house condemned… pretty badly." Danielle pretended to look disappointed.

"And after you fixed the house up all nice for her." August laughed as she threw an arm around the hanyou's neck.

Hiei looked at his mate and saw the hesitation and the fear in her eyes. Did her mother honestly scare her that badly? "Maybe Auntie doesn't hit that hard anymore." Yusuke commented lightly.

"She'll have a beer bottle to throw."

The former detective froze a moment before taking a deep breath and looking shocked when they got to the house. The windows were either broken or cracked while the lawn looked as if a small tiger or lion could have hidden in the weeds just waiting for an unwary passerby. The siding was falling down and the door looked as if a single touch would knock it down onto the ground. "Wow, Danny, if you hadn't gotten out when you did child services would have come for your sorry ass." August commented lightly.

Danielle nodded in agreement as they ventured towards the house, careful not to trip on the broken sidewalk. By now the neighbors would be looking out their windows to watch six strangers venture towards the neighborhood eyesore and surely one or two of them would recognize her. Tomorrow they'd be saying how she had returned to her mother for a short time only to leave again with her strange friends. Then they'd be watching for the next several months to see if any repairs were being made to the house.

Hiei gave his mate's hand a reassuring squeeze as the scent of alcohol wafted through the closed door. When that door opened they would find out if her mother truly did remain in the embodiment of hell that haunted her very dreams. Within those falling walls was the answer they so desperately needed if they expected to find out the reasons why.

Slowly Danielle raised her fist and knocked on the door, clearly not trusting the doorbell. "I'm not buying!" A woman's slurred voice shouted from behind the door.

"Mother, open this door!" Danielle shouted back.

If the neighbors wouldn't be talking tomorrow then they surely would be. The door swung open revealing a dangerously thin woman that looked as if she had once upon a time actually been pretty. The group wrinkled their noses at the assault of alcohol that reached them, realizing that the woman hadn't even bathed in however many days. "You little bitch!" Mrs. Roberts screamed angrily as she swung at her daughter.

Danielle didn't move as her mother's hand connected with her cheek, her red-violet eyes void of any emotion. "It's nice to see you too, Mother." Danielle told the older woman. "May we come in or do I need to call the police to have you tested for drugs?"

The older woman snarled at her daughter before stumbling away from the door. "Shit, Danny." Yusuke whispered. "She's gotten a hell of a lot worse."

"I know." Danielle responded softly as she eyed the living room.

"The hell do you want, you ungrateful whore?" Mrs. Roberts demanded. "I haven't got money to spare on you."

"I don't need money, Mother."

"Then what do you want? If your stupid friends want to rob me blind then good luck cause I ain't got shit."

She probably didn't have anything after she had left anyway. With no daughter bringing in any money, Danielle figured that her mother must have been absolutely furious. "Momma," the older woman stopped and eyed her daughter cautiously, "I need to know something. I also need you to know something."

The older woman snorted as she pulled a beer out from behind the couch and opened it, downing half of the bottle before she looked at the group. "What is it?" Mrs. Roberts questioned.

Hiei took hold of Danielle's hand and felt her squeeze his hand in response. "Momma, this is my husband. You have a grandson too. His name's Aaron and my husband's name is Hiei." She took a school photo of Aaron out of her pocket and handed it to her mother. "Aaron's eight now."

Carefully inspecting the photo of her grandson the drunken woman threw it onto a pile of dirty clothes. "So you got knocked up when you were seventeen. Always knew you were a slut." Mrs. Roberts commented lazily. "I suppose you want me to help you raise the brat."

"The brat, as you dare to call your only grandson," Hiei snarled, "doesn't need anything from you. I told Danny that she didn't need to tell you about Aaron and she said she wanted to!"

Mrs. Roberts smiled coolly at Hiei before answering, "Did you even check to see if the boy is yours?"

Something flashed in Hiei's eyes and Danielle squeezed her husband's hand tightly. Her mother had a knack for hitting old wounds and tearing them open even if she didn't know the person's history. "Aaron _is_ Hiei's son." Danielle snarled at her mother. "I know about Akira, Mother. I don't know what she offered you, but I know you two talked."

Laughter left the old woman's lips as she threw the bottle at her daughter, watching as she dodged it and the glass shattered against the wall. "So I talked to the woman whose fiance you murdered in cold blood."

"It was my job."

"Yes, and I know that you've had contact with other men that was quite powerful at the time. I also heard that you and your husband were sent on the same mission at one point in time because you're so weak."

Fury showed in Danielle's eyes and she nearly started the house on fire to alleviate her fury but she took a couple of calming breaths and forced herself to concentrate on the faint scent of burned ground sage. Her mother had cancer but where? "Mother, please. You lost Daddy when I was six and Aaron lost Hiei for six years." Danielle pleaded. "Just tell us what she promised you."

"Ha! I know you can smell it so why don't you take a guess?" Mrs. Roberts laughed coldly.

"She promised to make you healthy again." Kurama told the older woman. "With your situation I'm sure the doctors don't want to do anything whether it be financial reasoning or some other reasoning. From what I've observed so far the reasoning is more or less your attitude towards the world."

Fear gripped Danielle's heart at the darkening look in her mother's eyes. Shit times a dozen. "Mother, don't." Danielle said as she stepped back. "Mother, please don't."

Pushing herself from the couch the older woman gave them a cruel smile. "Run for it!" August shouted.

Without any hesitation the group took off towards the door.


	6. Chapter 5

lostmoonchild: Okay, this chapter is up and loaded. The next one should be up eventually although I'm not entirely sure what'll happen in it. All I know is that sparks will fly! Well, here's chapter five for your viewing pleasure!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or anything else unless I state otherwise.

* * *

Chapter Five

"Please tell me that I'm not the only one who happens to be having a moment of déjà vu here." August commented lightly as Hiei held his mate while she held onto the hanyou's arm.

Danielle snarled at her best friend before biting back a scream when her arm was set back into place. "Ah! Fucking bitch from hell! God damn her spider infested cunt!" Danielle screamed angrily.

"Mom?" Aaron questioned anxiously.

The woman hissed in anger before forcing a smile as she looked at her son. "I'm okay, baby. Momma's gonna be okay." Danielle said with a forced smile.

August raised an eyebrow before smiling a bit. "Every time we see her, Danny, you always seem to get your arm broken by her." She frowned. "How in the hell does that happen? Demons don't break any bones but that one miserable human manages to break two hundred and five bones out of the two hundred and six?"

"If only I knew." Danielle cautiously moved her arm. "I think she broke it in that same spot she did when we were fourteen."

Yusuke frowned as he watched his cousin and sighed. "The hell, Danny? I've seen you take on demons twice your size with arms that make up two of you and yet your mother beats the hell out of you within five minutes?" Yusuke questioned.

Danielle raised an eyebrow. "Could you hit your own mother?" Upon seeing the look on Yusuke's face, the hanyou nodded in satisfaction. "I rest my case."

"Just wait an hour before you use that arm." One of August's sisters said with a sigh. "Okay, Baby-chan?"

"I keep hoping you guys would get tired of calling me that." Danielle grumbled. "I'm a fully grown woman with a kid and a husband." "Note that the kid came before the hubby."

"Hubby was gained before the kiddy."

The group laughed at the woman's response and Hiei frowned slightly at his wife. It seemed unnatural that a human woman that was dying could injure a hanyou that was in perfect health. Just what kind of relationship did the two women share? Whatever the relationship was, it surely wasn't a good one. "Remember when we were kids you used to make excuses?" August questioned with a small grin. "You used to say that she'd forget who you are and now look. You're not making excuses for when she beats the hell out of you."

Danielle frowned at her friend for a moment before sighing softly to herself. Her mother was only helping out demons because it benefited her in the end. She could smell the cancer and knew that her mother had no intentions on dying right away. She didn't care if she was hurting her own flesh and blood. All she cared about was saving her own ass.

She knew she shouldn't have expected anything as soon as she saw the state of the house. The final nail had been put in as soon as she had to threaten to call the cops just for them to be let into the house but still she had expected some kind of revelation to come across her mother just like some little kid. Her mother wouldn't change. She was always looking out for number one.

"Mom?"

But she could be a better mother and she was. She at least cared about her children and had done everything she could and then some just to make sure they were taken care of. Then Memori had died and her attention had focused solely on Aaron and his needs.

Danielle hugged her son and kissed his dark hair, her red-violet eyes soft as she looked at him. "I love you so much." Danielle said softly. "You know that."

"I know." There was confusion in his voice as if he couldn't figure out why his mother had decided to tell him that. "I love you too."

There was nothing wrong with a guy telling his mother that he loved her. As a matter of fact, it was okay for a guy to tell his mom that he loved her as long as he meant it. "I don't want you to go near your grandma's house. She's not the friendliest snake in the pit." Danielle told her son. "I mean it."

Aaron nodded slightly before looking at his mother's arm. She had been fine when she left but then they came back and he saw her arm was broken. All anybody had said was that the psychotic bitch had gone after them and that Danielle had shielded them from harm. What good was that though when his mother's arm got broken in the process? What kind of bullshit was that?

Hiei looked at his son and saw the anger that was reflecting so clearly. The boy loved his mother, yes, and clearly hated the idea of anybody hitting his mother. In Aaron's eyes it was clear that anybody whom dared to hurt his mother was a dead man whether or not they meant to. "I'll make her sorry, Mom." Aaron said finally.

"No!" Danielle grabbed her son's shoulders and flinched when her broken arm protested the movements. "You need to keep your ass away from her! Aaron, I don't care how strong you think you are but that woman _isn't_ human."

August gently pried Danielle's hands from her son's shoulders. "Anybody who has ever seen her wipe out a bar's entire liquor stock in one night and still walk away can attest to that, honey." August said with a sigh. "Damn it, Danny, don't make me tie your arm to your chest."

Aaron stared at his mother for a moment before nodding slightly in understanding. "Did she really drink an entire bar's liquor stock and walk away?" Aaron questioned.

"Well, she stumbled mostly then crawled for a while until one of her boyfriends picked her up." Danielle amended with a thoughtful look on her face.

"One of her boyfriends?"

"Your grandma's a slut."

A grin spread across August's lips as she retreated to her husband's side and hugged him. "It's actually a wonder why your mother was being such a prude when it came to sex with your father." August commented lightly.

"Bitch!"

"Whore."

"Ha! Whores get paid!"

August grinned slightly before answering, "Hence where Aaron's tuition money comes from."

Danielle's eyes narrowed in warning before her red-violet eyes flickered to Hiei. "I think that it would be best if we dropped the subject." Kurama said with a sigh. "Let's all turn in for the night and we'll discuss what to do tomorrow morning."

Nodding slightly in agreement, the group went upstairs as August's siblings quietly turned off the lights. In the darkness of his room Aaron stared up at the ceiling as he thought about his mother's broken arm. After what seemed like an eternity he slipped from his room to where Sean and Maya were sleeping. "Get dressed." Aaron whispered.

"Hmm? Why?" Maya questioned sleepily.

"We're going to go see that old bitch and make her sorry for what she did."

"Aaron, your mom said to stay away. She's not human."

Frustration and determination showed in the boy's red-violet eyes as he looked at his friends. "Look, that old bitch tried to hurt our parents and you're going to let her get away with it? Let's go make her see that she can't mess with our moms and dads." Aaron hit the mattress in frustration.

The twins looked at each other before slipping from their bed. "Okay," Sean agreed, "but only because she hurt your mom."

He didn't care that the only reason why Sean was even agreeing was because the kitsune had a crush on his mother. All Aaron cared about was making her see that no one hurt his mother and got away with it… not even if that person was his own grandmother.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, chapter five is done. I'd like to thank everybody who's been sticking with this story so far so big cheers to you guys and cookies all around. I'll try to have the next chapter done ASAP so read and review, flames will be accepted.


	7. Chapter 6

lostmoonchild: I'm baaack! Okay, so Criminal Minds just kinda ruined movies from the 1950s for me so I thank them for that. Some of my favorite movies were from that time area so thanks. Thanks to everybody who favorited this story and left a review (so far) you guys rock. Anyway, here's chapter six for your viewing pleasure!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH so don't sue!

* * *

Chapter Six

He knew that they were going to get into trouble if they were caught but Sean couldn't help but go along with his best friend's idea. They may have gotten into a fair share of their own fights but they were best friends just like their fathers. At least, he hoped that their fathers were best friends. It'd be a shame if it was just their mothers that were best friends and even then he knew that their friendship had been a rocky one at first.

He just wondered what exactly Aaron had in mind. "So, _buddy_…" Sean started but found himself stopping when Aaron looked at him.

"We're going find out why she broke my mother's arm." Aaron told them flatly. "Then we're going to find out exactly what she knows about why my dad was targeted."

He wasn't just a mutt on a mission. He was a son on a mission to find out why his family was being messed with and he wouldn't rest until he did figure it out. "Aaron, don't you think it's a little weird that your family's being targeted by that lady and not ours too?" Maya questioned. "I mean, Mom was with your mom when they killed that man."

"Yeah, but according to the report my mom was the one that killed him while your mom kept that woman locked in the bathroom." Aaron reminded her. "Our moms even agree that's what happened."

"Besides, Danny's face is know throughout the Makai and Mom just earned a reputation as a lapdog. Take out the threat first before you work on the followers."

"So why use Aaron's grandma?"

"Why not?" Aaron questioned. "Your mom even says that my mom's mom hates her. Mom's broken arm proves it too."

Maya wanted to say that maybe the woman had thought herself to be threatened but kept quiet. She wanted to believe that everybody was good deep inside but she had heard the words that left the grownups' lips. They all agreed that Danielle's mother was a bitch that couldn't die but maybe they were wrong. Everybody had to die sometime and there was just no way that a human could consume an entire bar's supply of alcohol and walk away. Then again Danielle had corrected herself and said that her mother had stumbled out of the bar before crawling until one of her boyfriends came to pick her up.

The three children stopped outside of the rundown house and looked absolutely disgusted. "Your mom didn't come from that house." Sean stated.

"That's the address that's in the report."

"Yeah, but there's no possible way that your mom came from that house. I mean, look at it."

Aaron didn't say anything as he ventured towards the front door with his friends following closely behind. "What if we get caught?" Maya whispered.

"Do you really think that she's going to tell our parents?" Aaron whispered back.

"No…"

"Then stop whining."

Aaron knocked on the door and the three children waited as they heard somebody stumbling around inside. "The hell do you three brats want?" A woman demanded, her voice slurred.

"Uh, Aaron, I think that's your grandma." Sean said with a raised eyebrow.

Aaron stared at the older woman for a moment before answering, "Are you the mother of Danielle Roberts?"

"What'd the whore do this time?"

Anger shot through the boy at the name his mother was called and forced himself to remain calm. "I wanted to meet my grandmother. Danielle's my mother." Aaron answered.

Mrs. Roberts looked at the boy through unfocused eyes before rolling her eyes. "Let me guess. The damn whore decided to ditch your miserable ass with me because she wanted to go ahead and fuck that supposed husband of hers." Mrs. Roberts laughed coldly.

"No!" Aaron shouted. "I just-"

"Aaron!"

The three children turned around and saw Danielle standing with a furious look in her eyes. "You three, over here now." Danielle ordered.

They looked at the old woman before returning to Danielle's side. "Changed your mind about abandoning the brat?" Mrs. Roberts questioned.

"If you so much as have touched my son I'll kill you right here and now." Danielle snarled at her mother.

"Do you want me to remind you why I'm your mother?"

Pushing the children back towards the street, Danielle gave her mother a final glare before turning. "Let's go back to the house. You three are in such deep trouble that there's no rope long enough to pull your little butts out." Danielle scolded as they walked down the street. "What in the hell were you three thinking?"

Aaron glared at the ground as they walked, feeling his mother's hand firmly on his shoulder. "I wanted to see if she was tough enough to break your arm." Aaron stated. "I was going to yell at her for hurting you."

Danielle closed her eyes a moment before answering as she opened them, "You never mind what injuries I get from who. You just need to be worried about what your father's going to do when we get back to the house." She looked at Sean and Maya. "You two are in deep shit too."

"We just wanted to make sure that nothing was going to happen to Aaron." Maya protested.

"Look, she woulda snatched all three of you kids and shoved you into the basement. That's where she shoved my ass when I lived with her and your mother can attest to that." Danielle answered as she opened the door. "Now get inside."

The three children cringed slightly when they saw the looks that were in the adults' eyes. Each one looked disappointed and furious at them that they had dared to disobey them. "Okay, I know this looks bad but there's a logical explanation." Aaron tried.

"Nice try." Yusuke told him. "Your mother specifically told you to stay away and-"

"Uh, Yusuke, I think it'd be best if Hiei and I dealt with Aaron while August and Kurama dealt with the twins." Danielle said quickly. "That way you're not playing the bad guy again."

Hiei looked at the brown-eyed man and saw that he really didn't care if he was the bad guy or not. Yusuke had just gotten used to taking over when Danielle got overwhelmed so he supposed it'd take time before any of them would be used to it. "Yeah, yeah. Your kid an all." Yusuke nodded before looking at Hiei. "Watch out. He'll try to charm you."

Pressing her fingers against the back of her son's neck, Danielle raised an eyebrow at him. "Now, young man," she lightly applied pressure causing the boy to stiffen, "march."

Hiei smirked as he watched his mate head upstairs with their son in tow, his eyes watching the soft sway of her hips. Maybe when they were done disciplining their son he could sweet talk her into disciplining him as well. "Have some tact." Yusuke muttered upon seeing the lustful look appearing in Hiei's eyes. "We are in someone else's house."

The fire hybrid raised an eyebrow at the former Detective before responding, "You're one to talk about tact."

"That's my cousin you're thinking about-"

"She's also my mate."

Yusuke sighed as he watched Kurama and August take their two children upstairs. "I'm almost scared to find out what those two plan on doing to their kids but I'd rather not know what you and Danny plan on doing to Aaron." Yusuke sighed. "Speaking of which, you'd probably better get up there before she decides to kill him. The kid sure knows how to cock an attitude."

As Hiei ventured upstairs he couldn't help but wonder just what exactly he had gotten himself into when he gave into Danielle's request for a family. Whatever it was that he had gotten into he was fairly certain that he didn't ask for this part but it was all going to be worth it when their son grew into a fine man.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, so my alternate ego was kinda playing a role in this chapter so we'll see how much alternate ego #1 plays in the next chapter compared to that alternate ego's alternate ego. Read and review, flames are accepted!


	8. Chapter 7

lostmoonchild: Another update and another drama. And yet I'm still enjoying this... somewhat.

disclaimer: I don't own YYH or anything else so don't sue me.

* * *

Chapter Seven

Aaron was silent as he watched his mother and August pour over their old files in a desperate attempt to jumpstart any memories that they may not have considered important. "Hey, Danny, lookie at this." August pushed the file towards the hanyou for inspection. "From ten years ago."

"Time flown by that quickly?"

He wouldn't have minded making the comment about time flying by that quickly. Hold on a minute. August said ten years ago so that would have been when his mom was only fifteen. Maybe they'd have to see what exactly his mom was doing back then since they didn't go over to Japan until they were sixteen. A year later he had been conceived and born.

Maybe his time being grounded would pass by quickly. From how both Sean and Maya were looking it was clear to him that they had gotten grounded too. "Her description's in this one too."

Kurama looked at the reports and nodded to himself. "So she's been following you two around. The first time any of you saw her was when you were fourteen?" Kurama questioned.

"Seems like it. Then again, she was locked in the bathroom and the fox was holding the bathroom door shut."

"The information isn't complete." August said with a frown. "We don't know much about her."

"Since when was the Reikai's information actually complete?" Danielle questioned. "If we want any information about the bitch then we've got to find it for ourselves." Her eyes flickered to Hiei. "Oh, Hiei…"

Hiei raised an eyebrow at his mate before sighing. Naturally she'd ask him for information even though half of the information that the Reikai gave them was information that he had given them. "The information I gathered is in that file right there." Hiei told her.

"_Even the information you were scared to tell me?__"_ Her eyes asked softly.

Pain flashed across her face as Hiei looked away. There was more that he hadn't told her, that he didn't think she'd want to hear. "Just tell my mom whatever you're lying about!" Aaron shouted as he attacked his father.

Hiei darted from the boy before reappearing again behind him. "Do you really think that things are as easy as you seem to think they are?" Hiei questioned as he jerked the boy's arm behind him. "When you grow up you'll realize that the world isn't the place you think it is. Not everything can be said without consequence."

"Fuck you!" Aaron shouted.

His eyes widened when his arm was released and he was spun around, his cheek suddenly stinging from the force of Hiei's hand striking the tanned skin. "Hiei!" Danielle shouted in shock.

Tears gathered in Aaron's eyes as he glared hatefully at his father, ignoring how Kurama pulled the boy away from Hiei. "That was harsh." Kuwabara told Hiei. "Totally uncalled for. Ground the kid instead of beating him!"

Danielle brushed past her mate and pulled her son into a protective hug, her red-violet eyes flashing angrily. "I don't care if you're his father but you will not hit my son again." Danielle snarled.

Hiei stared at his mate, seeing the anger in her eyes. His striking Aaron had agitated her and from how she was protectively twisting her body to shield him it was clear that she was remembering being slapped for saying something once upon a time. "Let's go, sweetheart. We'll see if the ice cream place that I used to go to is still open." Danielle said as she grabbed her wallet.

Giving him one more glare, the woman led the boy out of the house.

%%%%%%%%%%

"I know he pissed you off, Hiei, but slapping him was a little harsh." Yusuke commented half an hour later. "Then again, he's used to swearing at people and getting nothing more than a scolding so maybe a slap was exactly what he needed."

Hiei looked at the ex-Detective a moment before rolling his eyes. "Her mother slapped her a lot, I'm assuming." Hiei stated.

"Yeah. Shit, Hiei, you saw what she did to Danny's arm. Seeing her son being slapped just provoked the anxiety that she already felt and made it worse. I don't know if she's going to let you be alone with the kids after today."

The fire hybrid didn't say anything as he stared outside, almost desperately wishing to see his mate and son walking up the sidewalk towards the house. He wanted to hold them, to apologize but something was keeping him from finding them. Was it because he sensed that his mate was still furious and scared? They were bound together for life so how could he possibly hope to make things right with her?

Even more so… how could he hope to make things right with his son?

His heart clenched in pain as he remembered that hateful look that had appeared in his son's eyes as his cheek began to develop a red handprint. Could he honestly go through his life knowing that his son hated him? No, he didn't think he could. He loved his son and regretted slapping him. When they got back he'd apologize and admit being wrong. Surely his son would realize that even full grown men apologized when they had done wrong.

The hours slipped by and the night overcame the day by the time Danielle and Aaron came back. "We need to talk." Danielle said softly when she got to the room she and Hiei were sharing.

"I'm sorry." Hiei told her. "I shouldn't have hit Aaron."

"You need to apologize to our son. I meant what I said earlier, Hiei. Just because you're his father doesn't mean that I'll let you hit him." Her eyes showed her pain. "He wants your love, Hiei. He wants you to see that he's exactly like you. When you slapped him earlier, it scared the shit out of him."

"I didn't mean to scare him."

"But you did! Hiei, he's eight. He's been without you for six years, watching me try to hold things together even when everything was falling apart. Then you show up suddenly and everything's turned upside down." She reached out and touched his hand. "He's confused and he's convinced that you hate him."

"I don't. I love him as much as I love you."

"Then don't hit him when he smarts off. Gentle isn't your thing and I know that but you can let him know without smacking him that his behavior is unacceptable."

"Like grounding him?" Anger rose through Hiei's being. "That doesn't work with him, Danielle! That's nothing to him!"

Frustration showed in the woman's eyes as she looked at him. "Then how about you watch and see what works with him and what doesn't! I love you, Hiei, but I will take Aaron and leave if you hit him one more time." Her eyes were calm and serious at the same time. "Don't lock me out, Hiei. Your problems are mine and vise versa. Our son needs his father to be understanding and not hit him every time he smarts off. That's in his nature. He takes after Yusuke and I with the whole smarting off thing and he'll learn when to smart off and when not to."

Hiei didn't respond as he listened to his mate. He could still feel her fear and anxiety but he could also feel the truth in her words. If he hit Aaron one more time then she would take him and leave despite her still loving him. There was no amount of love that she could feel for him that would keep her from protecting Aaron by any means necessary. "I'm sorry." Hiei repeated softly. "I won't hit him again."

Danielle shook her head softly. "Don't say words you don't really mean." Danielle said softly. "If you won't talk to me about whatever's bothering you then at least talk to Kurama or somebody."

"I will." Hiei confirmed with a small nod.

"Don't just say that you will. Do it."

Pushing herself away from him, the woman looked at him with sorrowful eyes before leaving the room and closing the door softly behind her. For the first time in a long time, Hiei felt his tears prick at his eyes and heard the soft clattering of his own tear gems hitting the floor.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Wow... that was... wow. I don't know where this last part came from but I think it was kind of deep. Will Hiei keep his word or will Danny take Aaron and leave? We'll see what happens next chapter so read and review!


	9. Chapter 8

lostmoonchild: I know, I haven't updated in a long while. There's really no excuse that I can offer other than writer's block and I had forgotten where exactly I was going with this although I'm not entirely sure that there's a theory in here somewhere. I may be a leftie but there are days when people aren't sure that I'm in my right mind... lame joke, I know. Anyway, I'll blame the fic "Summer Snow" for the inspiration for this chapter.

disclaimer: I don't own YYH or anything else unless I say otherwise. I'd like to point out that "Summer Snow" is my own fic and is in the Kyou Kara Maoh! area.

* * *

Chapter Eight

The sound of the fire sirens going off had always bothered them and they paid no mind until Sean and Maya came running in with Aaron trailing closely behind. "The smoke's coming from Grandma's!" Aaron told his mother.

Danielle felt her heart freeze as she darted out the door, moving as quickly as her demonic speed would allow her to. While she may have held no love for her mother, some part of her forgave everything that she had done. The time of excuses had passed but still she wanted to make sure that no harm came to her mother. "Mother!" Danielle screamed when she saw that her mother's house was engulfed in flames.

She fought against the firemen that held her back, distantly hearing them tell her to stay back. "That's my mother's house! Get her out!" Danielle screamed.

"Ma'am, the flames are too hot to risk anybody going inside!" The fireman told her.

The world around her drummed in her ears as she watched the flames consume the house that she had once referred to as her own hell. She could remember when she was fourteen how she had painted the house and mowed the lawn only to have her arm broken in retaliation. How many times had she been on the roof fixing it the best she could without the proper tools?

One of the neighbors had come over while she was repairing a window one summer with a glass of lemonade in tow. She had tried to refuse the drink but ultimately lost the argument due to her knowledge that it was never wise to argue with one's elders. That night her mother had gotten furious and she had paid with a split lip and a black eye.

No one took pity on her after that in fear of being the reason that she was beaten to death.

How many times had she done something to fix the house only to have her work go up in figurative flames a short while later? It wouldn't matter if she had tried to fix up her mother's house earlier. Those efforts would have literally gone up in flames. No, she was right to just leave her mother in the house that would have fallen down sooner or later.

She stood by as she watched the firemen try to put the flames out. She didn't care that her friends and family had shown up and started trying to comfort her. Not even the murmuring how the "troubled daughter" had come home pulled her from the numbness. "Mom?" Aaron asked softly as he held onto her hand.

Reflex took over as she knelt down and hugged her son, her red-violet eyes remaining focused on the wooden skeleton that had yet to be consumed. Her mother's remains were somewhere in the house although she was almost praying that her mother had gone off to get a drink or a dozen. "Ms. Roberts?" The fire chief questioned.

"Mrs. Jaganshi now." Danielle told him automatically.

"Can we talk somewhere in private?"

She nodded slightly and left the group, listening as he explained that no one had been able to get inside before the flames had gotten too hot and that he was sorry for her loss. As soon as the flames were completely put out they'd go through and try to retrieve her mother's body and they'd determine the cause of the fire. "At the moment it's looking to be accidental although the neighbors saw somebody arrive earlier this evening."

"I came by with my cousin and our friends as well as my husband and then later after that my son and his friends came by to see her. I took them back to where we're staying as soon as I realized they had come here."

"No, ma'am. There was only one individual. Female from what one of the young men was saying."

Her mind began racing as she listened to the fire chief's words, clicking everything into place. After she gave her current address to the man, she turned and went back to the group. "We need to talk now." Danielle murmured to them. "They don't really think it was an accident."

"Arson?" August whispered.

Danielle nodded slightly. "Neighbor reported seeing a woman come to the house. After that the flames started up." Danielle murmured.

Hiei was silent as he held his mate and watched the flames without a word. The woman that had held him against his will for six years had been only blocks away from them and he hadn't noticed. "Onna," Hiei murmured softly, "we need to talk."

Danielle's grip on his arm tightened slightly in response and she nodded slightly. Some part of her wanted to wait until the shock of her spiteful mother being killed had worn off but some other part that recognized that she was finally truly free wanted to celebrate. "I know." Danielle murmured softly. "I know."

Yusuke wondered if his cousin was relieved to know that she wouldn't have to worry about her mother hunting her down and killing everybody but the look in her eyes told him that she felt the exact opposite. There was a hurt that only came with the realization that someone once thought invincible was human just like everybody else. "Shit, Danny." Yusuke said softly an hour later as he hugged his cousin. "I'm sorry."

"I thought she'd die of alcohol poisoning long before this shit." Danielle said finally.

"None of us thought that she'd actually die."

"Stupid thing is she'll be allowed to pass on with no regrets." Anger shone in her eyes. "She'll never regret beating the shit out of me just because my father left. She'll never regret stealing thousands from others just to feed her fucking habits."

And here came the anger part of the grieving process. He supposed that once the anger part was done then she'd be left to carry on. There were no good memories when it came to his aunt and it didn't seem fair to him that he could remember good times with his mother when his cousin had none with hers. "We'll find who did this and we'll make sure they know that we don't appreciate her being taken away when we weren't done with her." Yusuke said softly

"I think I wasn't really done with her. Some part of me still loved her, I guess, and it's that part that's grieving." Danielle said softly. "In the end, kids all really do love their parents somewhere deep down."

"Somewhere." Yusuke agreed. "If anybody stops by, I'll handle them. You just go upstairs and get some rest."

"I don't want to sleep. I'm afraid I'll hear her screaming 'worthless hanyou' and wanting to know why I didn't do anything to keep her alive." Tears glistened in her eyes.

Yusuke held his cousin tightly before answering, "None of us knew. Go upstairs, Danny, and hold on to your mate and son. I'm sure they both know that you're hurting."

She spoke no words as she went upstairs and laid down on the bed. She made no movements as Hiei laid down behind her and Aaron laid down in front of her, placing his mother's arms over him. "It's okay, Momma." Aaron told her softly. "It'll be okay."

Hiei kissed her head, not bothering to utter any words of comfort. He'd let the boy handle the talking while he just held onto his mate. They could stand being the rocks that she could hold on to now that she had been comforted by Yusuke. "Onna," Hiei said finally, "we know who did it. We'll make sure that she pays."

"Hai." Danielle murmured softly. "She'll die a slow and painful death. No one messes with my family and thinks they'll get away with it."

As long as she wasn't furious at them for what had happened Hiei found himself content and knew that they'd wait until the numbness wore off before they'd have a decent conversation about what was known. He just wondered how long the shock would last and when they'd be able to go home.

Even if that meant having to put up with that stupid ningen that wanted to get in his wife's pants.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, I wanted a little family cuddling thing after the whole Hiei being a prick to his son thing in the last chapter so this was somewhat Hiei making up for it. Read and review, flames will be accepted and used to heat South Dakota back up since some of us want to be able to ride horses and run barrels.


	10. Chapter 9

lostmoonchild: Yes, I know it's been forever since I last updated. I've been stressed due to the production of my own cosplay costume and the idiocy that came with "Hey, let's make a complicated costume by hand." Thankfully there's a convention in Rapid City, South Dakota this weekend that I'll be going to so we'll see how it works out.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH so no suing me!

* * *

Chapter Nine

They knew that they could have gone ahead while Danielle took care of her mother's funeral arrangements and final expenses but it didn't seem right to leave her behind. The cause of the fire was still unknown although it had officially been listed as arson.

Surely god had to have had a better sense of humor than this.

Hiei was silent as he watched his mate try to make sense of her mother's final expenses. From the look in her eyes it was clear that she didn't even know how in the world she was going to pay off the large sums that had been festering. "Onna, let's go to bed. You're not going to figure this out tonight." Hiei told her.

"No."

He didn't say a word as he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. The woman stiffened slightly as his hands wandered down her sides before resting firmly on her hips. "Don't make me force you." Hiei murmured in her ear.

"This isn't our house."

"I don't believe that stopped us when we created our son."

Danielle closed her eyes as she felt his hands work on her shorts before pulling the material down enough to expose her lower half to him. "Somebody could come in." Danielle tried again.

"They've already done that once before. Remember?"

Her fingers dug into the papers as she felt him slide into her and concentrated on her breathing as he moved slowly against her, carefully starting every nerve on fire. "Hiei…" Danielle pleaded softly.

"If we were to go upstairs, onna," he murmured in her ear before giving her a sharp thrust, "then we'll be able to do this properly."

Already she could feel her muscles beginning to shiver and shake as he alternated his thrusts between gentle and hard. The knowledge that they could get caught at any minute was just too great to ignore and for some reason it just made her hotter. "I need to do this." Danielle tried to reason.

Hiei smirked softly before biting down on her neck, listening to the shocked gasp that left her lips in response. "That's losing its place as the first and foremost. Right now you're thinking that you'd rather be doing me first." Hiei murmured in her ear.

She nudged him back and turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck as they roughly claimed each other's lips. A soft noise left her lips as he pushed her against the island, the counter digging into her lower back as he slipped his hand between her folds and began rubbing the sensitive nub. "H-Hiei." Danielle whimpered as she moved her hips when he stopped.

"Don't you need to finish those final expenses?" Hiei questioned with a smirk.

"Asshole. Finish what you started."

"You're worried about people walking in. Besides," he reminded her, "this isn't our house."

She hit him and grabbed his shoulders tightly before kissing him with as much passion as she could manage. "Then we'll take this upstairs." Danielle murmured as she pulled her shorts back up. "If you won't finish what you've started then I'm going to and I'll be sure that you're watching."

As he followed her out of the kitchen a smirk spread across Hiei's lips. Let that stupid human with the fascination for his wife try and get the same amount of desire out of her that he could. No sooner had they gotten to their room and the door shut behind them, their clothes were off and they were making excellent use of their bed.

The day of the funeral came with rainstorms and when everything had been said and done it was time for them to go home. "Home, home, home." Aaron sang happily as they boarded the plane.

"Aaron, honey, don't go too far ahead." Danielle told the boy with a small sigh.

"Feeling worse, Danny?" August questioned.

"Just tired. Somebody wouldn't let me have space enough to sleep comfortably."

Hiei smirked slightly before rushing ahead to grab Aaron and pull him back. "You're going to get kidnapped if you don't stay with us." Hiei told his son.

"I'll kick their butts!" Aaron protested.

Danielle smiled faintly as they boarded their plane and relaxed against the seats. "Hey, Mom?" Aaron questioned suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"When you and Dad die, will I have to do the same stuff that you did for Grandma?"

"Don't worry about that now, son." Hiei told the boy. "Your mother and I don't plan on going anywhere for a long time."

That didn't mean that it wasn't possible they weren't going to die suddenly. Upon seeing the look on their son's face, Danielle smiled faintly and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, sweetheart." Danielle murmured.

They all knew that it was a question that they'd ultimately have to face, especially after Memori's death. That was perhaps the first time the children had been exposed to death and now they were being exposed to it again. Except instead of a sibling dying they were now seeing what was done when a parent died. "Danny," Kurama said in an attempt to get the hanyou's attention.

"Yeah?"

"We will find her."

"I'm not going to make her pay for murdering my mother. I'm going to make her pay for hurting my husband."

Well at least she knew her priorities. "Let Spirit World handle her punishment." Kurama advised softly.

"Spirit World can have her after I'm done with her."

Talking sense into her now really was pointless. "Just don't do something you'll regret. That's all I gotta say about it." August said with a small sigh.

Danielle smiled at them as she answered, "I never do."

Home never felt so comforting before now. Aaron cheered as he ran to his room, dragging his bag along to dump its contents onto the floor. "Dirty clothes in hamper!" Danielle called as she sorted through the mail. "Now, let's see… Bill. Bill. Bill. Aaron's report card."

Hiei watched as he got a glass and filled it with water, choosing to watch his mate's facial expressions as she went through the mail. There was an almost bored look as she put the various envelopes on the table in separate piles. "What's that one?" Hiei asked when he saw the baffled look on her face.

"I don't know."

She tore the envelope open and took out its contents, her red-violet eyes widening and darkening in anger. "That bitch…" Danielle snarled.

"Aaron, stay in your room." Hiei called as he took the picture from his mate and looked at it, his own eyes darkening in anger.

It was a picture of their son sleeping, his body sprawled out across the bed as his shirt rode up to reveal an already taught stomach. Across the bottom, written in red, was a warning.

Wouldn't want him to have an accident like Mommy.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Uh oh... a line has been crossed. Okay, I'll try to have another update up as soon as possible so no one kill me. Feel free to yell at me to get my butt moving with the updates or just leave a review saying what you like or whatever. You can even go on about purple monkeys or pink rabbits that give hugs. On second thought, let's keep the hugging bunnies away cause they're just plain spooky. Ja ne!


	11. Chapter 10

lostmoonchild: It's one thirty Friday morning and I'm currently waiting to be asked why the house smells like spray paint. The answer to that: I spray painted my room. Well, my closet to be exact. I was bored. Nothing more and nothing less. Anyway, here's chapter ten!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH so no sue.

* * *

Chapter Ten

Third day in a row she was sick. This was becoming ridiculous. "Onna." Hiei stated from the bathroom door.

"Fuck off, Hiei." Danielle growled as she forced herself to her feet and rinsed out her mouth in the sink.

"This is the third day."

"I haven't missed my period yet."

He raised an eyebrow before sighing as he retreated to the kitchen to fix him and Aaron some breakfast. He knew his mate wouldn't want to eat. "Egg roll, Dad?" Aaron asked as he held up a plate.

Didn't the boy know how to make anything else or were egg rolls his favorite breakfast dish? "You can't eat cereal like a normal kid?" Hiei asked with a sigh.

"I'm not exactly normal."

Hiei looked at his son, seeing the look of indignation on his face. "Of course not." Hiei responded. "You're perfect to your mother and me though."

Aaron shrugged slightly before returning to his breakfast. Hiei couldn't help but be grateful that the boy didn't know that he had been targeted. "Dad?" Aaron questioned suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Mom's feeling sick again today, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

Aaron poked at his food before asking, "Is she pregnant?"

Hiei sat down at the table and looked at his son for a moment. Was the boy honestly worried about there being a new baby in the house if she was? "Your mother isn't ready to take a pregnancy test." Hiei told the boy.

"It'd make sense if she was. Yusuke told me that demon sperm is faster than human sperm."

Why did he suddenly have the feeling that his son had been given the sex talk by one of the most perverted men that he knew? Now he was wondering what Danielle had been thinking. "Do you think she's pregnant?" Hiei asked.

"I don't know."

"What's wrong?"

"It's stupid."

"There's nothing stupid about telling either your mother or me about anything that's bothering you."

Aaron poked at his egg rolls a little before answering, "What if Mom is pregnant and the baby dies like Memori?"

Somehow he knew that Memori's death had affected the boy immensely. "Nothing's going to happen to her or the baby." Hiei told the boy.

"I'm going over to Sean and Maya's. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

Aaron picked up his breakfast dishes and threw away the remaining bit of food before putting the dishes in the sink. "Going to Sean and Maya's!" Aaron called to his mother before taking off out the door.

Hiei shook his head slightly before finishing up his breakfast preparation. The boy would be fine. He was a tough kid. If that was the case then why was there this feeling of dread that was suddenly filling him? Abandoning his breakfast, Hiei followed.

Aaron hummed to himself as he walked down the sidewalk, ignoring the curious glances that came his way. What? Hadn't they seen a kid before?

The young boy stopped, suddenly realizing that he had forgotten to put in his contacts. "Damn it." Aaron swore before glancing back. He always could run home but then he'd have to put up with his mother's fussing. Nah, he'd just keep going and if anybody was rude enough to ask then he could say that he was wearing contacts.

A chill went down his spine as he suddenly felt as if someone were watching him. But who was it? Where were they hiding? "Are you lost, little boy?" A woman asked him, her voice low and full of hidden danger.

"Go away, you hag." Aaron replied as he pushed away from her.

The woman's painted nails dug into his arm, eliciting a cry from the boy. "You're going to come with me if your don't want your mommy and daddy to get hurt." The woman purred. "Am I understood?"

Aaron's eyes widened slightly as he was suddenly jerked and stared as his feet left the ground. He could see his father giving chase, his own crimson eyes flashing dangerously as his katana glinted in the sunlight. "Dad!" Aaron shouted.

"Let the boy go, Akira." Hiei growled.

A smile spread across Akira's lips as she pressed her sharp nails against the boy's throat. "Dad, help me!" Aaron shouted as he fought back the tears of fear that were gathering.

"Hold on, son. Just be brave for a little while longer." Hiei's eyes focused on the woman. "Attacking a child is beneath you, Akira."

Anger flashed in the woman's eyes as she glared at Hiei before answering, "You know nothing. Locking a woman in a bathroom is a low act and torturing another's true love is even lower. Do you even know, little boy, how your mother would kill her victims if the mood struck her?"

"Don't listen to her, Aaron!"

"Trying to keep him in the dark, Hiei-koi? Are you afraid that he won't love his mommy the way you do if he finds out how she'd kill her victims?" Her bright eyes flashed dangerously. "You see, little boy, your mommy is nothing more than a murderer for hire but you know that. I'm sure you've asked your mommy to take you along but she always say no. Do you know why she doesn't want you to go with her?"

"Leave Aaron out of this!" Hiei shouted.

"It's because she's always been looking for your daddy. She tortures her victims in any attempt to find where your daddy's been kept."

"You're lying!" Aaron shouted as he fought to get away.

"Am I? Do you want to know why your mommy and daddy were so tense around each other? Why they still are a little tense?"

A growl left Aaron's lips as he tried to figure out a way out of his current mess. His eyes widened slightly as he watched his father crouch down. "I wouldn't do anything, Hiei. What if my hand were to slip and your little boy's blood goes spilling all over the place?"

"Then I suggest you let the boy go, you bitch."

Akira's eyes flashed as she looked at Yusuke, seeing that he was pointing his Spirit Gun at her. "Oh, the half-breed's here. I'm assuming the traitor's here too." Akira said lightly.

"I don't know of any betrayal but I'm here." Kurama replied smoothly, rose whip prepared.

A whimper left Aaron's lips as the woman's nails dug into his skin and felt warm liquid on his throat before the scent of blood reached his nose. "There's nothing you three can do. He's mine." Akira sang.

The boy tried to focus on anything other than the scent of his blood and fought through the dizziness that made the world spin violently around him. "Dad… Help me." Aaron pleaded.

Suddenly Akira threw him to the ground and Aaron felt something warm and tingly slide past him before a pair of arms grabbed hold of him and jumped back with him. "It's okay, son." Hiei said softly as he watched Yusuke and the others take off after the woman. "You're okay. Everything's okay now."

The tears suddenly broke past the dam that Aaron had set up and he clung to his father as he cried. Hiei was silent as he soothed the boy and carefully cleaned the already healing claw marks. "Damn bitch got away." Yusuke growled twenty minutes later.

Hiei didn't say anything as he held onto his son, staring at the boy's soft features. "I don't know why she waited so long to get her revenge," said Hiei softly, "but she made a mistake by threatening my son."

* * *

lostmoonchild: Uh ohs... Hiei in a bad mood. I kinda had fun writing this chapter although I do admit to having a few "what's the word?" moments. My hands aren't working very well due to my finding a can of spray paint and decided that my closet needed to be painted but it's not stoping me from updating these fics. Anyway, read and review!


	12. Chapter 11

lostmoonchild: Okay, ladies and gents, I had fun writing this one so we'll see how you guys like it.

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH so sorries.

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Curses left Akira's lips as she retreated to her hideout, skin burning. That damned ningen! She hadn't been expecting him to be able to keep up with the traitor and the half-breed and she had nearly paid with her life.

No, she needed to keep her head on straight. She had gotten too eager to get the boy and had forgotten that Hiei had telepathy because of the Jagan. The fox would have hurried and the half-breed would have hustled his hide too. The human… He had a sixth sense so he probably sensed something was wrong so he had hurried up to the scene.

She'd have to plan the boy's abduction more carefully if she wanted to keep him. She could still hear her soon-to-be-mate's screams as the hanyou girl tortured him to death and wanted nothing more than to make her understand the kind of suffering she was still living with. If she took that half-breed wretch's husband and son away then there'd be no reason for her to exist. Everybody she knew would have to die. Then there'd be nobody left for her.

Laughter left the woman's lips as she threw her head back, her eyes dancing with maniacal insanity. Her time for revenge had finally come. She'd let them know where she was and then they'd all come running without a second thought. Yes, then they all would die starting with the ones they all cherished above all else.

()()()()()()

Home would have been the logical choice for Hiei to take Aaron but he could tell the boy just wanted to wander around for a while and slowly make their way home. Clearly the boy wasn't used to people trying to kill him which made Hiei wonder just how exactly Danielle managed to keep him safe over the years. "Was that the first time someone tried to kill you?" Hiei asked patiently.

"Yeah."

"If I told you that you get used to it then I'd be lying."

Aaron stared at the sidewalk as they walked before saying softly, "Mom taught me how to use my spirit energy but I… I…"

"You froze." Hiei finished. "There no shame in admitting weakness, boy. At least not unless you're admitting weakness to an enemy. Then there's shame to be had but you didn't confess weakness to her."

"But I could have gotten her off of me! I could have protected myself but instead I chose to be a baby about it!"

Hiei directed his son to the park before saying, "I'm an A-class youkai and I couldn't defend myself against her. Your mother has an agenda with that woman and I don't intend on letting you be near them when they run into each other."

Aaron eyed his father carefully. "Mom scares you." Aaron accused.

"Son," Hiei sighed, "the baka onna scares everybody when she's pissed."

"But Mom scares you and you're full demon."

A sigh left Hiei's lips as he looked at the boy. "If you say that to the stupid Detective then I will deny it." Hiei told the boy.

Aaron nodded in understanding before asking, "You were going to kick her ass, weren't you? I mean, if she wouldn't have had me as a hostage then you were going to kick her ass."

There was absolute trust in the boy's eyes that Hiei had a hard time looking away. "You're my son. It's only natural that I'd want to protect you." Hiei replied gruffly.

"Would you have protected Memori if you had been here?"

"Of course. I would have protect all three of you if I had been here."

Seemingly satisfied with his father's answers, Aaron nodded. "Let's go home, Dad. I want to give Mom a hug." Aaron said finally.

"You know something?"

"What?"

"Giving your mother a hug sounds like one hell of an idea."

()()()()()()()()()()()

Some part of her screamed about not wanting to be touched but that part was silenced by the knowledge that both her boys needed to give her a hug. Red-violet eyes met crimson as Danielle nestled against Hiei while hugging their son tightly. "Onna, we'll need to talk." Hiei informed his wife.

"I know." Discomfort crossed Danielle's face as Aaron's grip around her waist tightened. "Aaron, honey, you need to loosen your grip. You're hurting me."

She gently pried the boy's arms from around her waist before kneeling down. Concern showed in her eyes as she saw the fear in his eyes and brushed his dark bangs from his eyes. "What happened, baby?" Danielle asked softly. "Aaron, what happened?"

"I was going to Sean and Maya's house when that woman that killed Grandma caught me. Dad and the others managed to chase her away." Aaron told his mother.

Danielle hugged her son tightly, her mind immediately racing. That bitch had gone after her son? "Hiei?" Danielle asked shakily.

"Hn."

Immediately the woman began checking Aaron for any injuries, her eyes frantic. "Mom, I'm okay." Aaron protested as he tried to pull away.

"You fought back?"

"Yeah. I couldn't get her off me though. Dad was going to kick her butt and Kurama and Yusuke were ready to go but then Kuwabara showed up and got her to let me go since she wasn't expecting him to show up." Aaron paused a moment. "Are you mad?"

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. You go to your room so your father and I can talk. I promise I'm not mad."

Aaron nodded slowly before retreating to his room. "The scratch on his neck's already mostly healed." Hiei commented patiently. "It's obvious his demon blood's strong."

"He's a three-fourths demon. I wouldn't expect him to be weak."

"You're upset that he choked."

"I'm not upset that he choked. Everybody chokes the first time their lives are in danger. Especially when they're not used to people going after them."

Hiei reached for his mate and sighed as she pulled away. "You're pregnant, aren't you?" Hiei questioned.

Danielle moved so she was sitting on the counter, her red-violet eyes calm as she stared at him. "Yeah. Congrats, Hiei, you're a daddy again. Now let's just see if we can keep this one alive so Aaron's not living in total conviction that the Reikai enjoys taking away little siblings."

* * *

lostmoonchild: Danny's preggers again... potentially not good. How will they tell Aaron that he's going to be a big brother? Will he already suspect something? How about one review before I update again next week? Read and review, flames are accepted and will be used to melt this damn snow.


	13. Chapter 12

lostmoonchild: Seriously, guys? Okay, even if this story's getting no new reviews I'm just gonna keep updating until it's done which I think will be shortly seeing as I'm getting to that point I'm losing serious interest in this story. Reviews keep me interested and wanting to keep going but I don't really know what to do. Once I finish with the stories that I'm currently working on, I think I'm going to go on hiatus for a while just to recharge my batteries.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

She had known that she was being followed for the past fifteen minutes and every glance behind her had proven it. Only those that couldn't hide their true forms from the eyes of humans wore such large jackets and hats that covered their faces. Even if they had been able to conceal their true form, the smell of the Makai's land coated all demons that had been in Ningenkai for a short while.

August smiled softly to herself as she entered an alleyway and stopped halfway through when she sensed the demon follow her. "Don't you know," she asked softly as she turned around, "that it's a terrible idea to corner a fox? We tend to bite."

The air grew heavy in the alleyway as the two stared at each other. Only the world continued on outside the narrow space and it would remain oblivious. "Don't worry, little fox. We ssssnakessss tend to bite asssss well." Her stalker replied with a visible smile.

August smirked as she crouched down. She loved snakes. Her brothers and sisters had always turned their noses up whenever a snake demon was caught but she had always been so eager. Maybe it was strange for a fox demon to take pleasure in eating snake demons. She never remembered Danielle complaining when their target was on very rare occasion a snake demon that needed to vanish. Clearly Akira hadn't done her research properly if she was going to be kind enough to provide the woman with a meal. "Come and play then, little snake. Let's see which of us has the harder bite." August purred as she softly swayed her hips. "My dear hebi-chan, come play with me and you'll see what eternity looks like."

With a hiss the snake demon attacked, the human illusion it had barely been able to establish melting away. August dodged the first attack, feeling the moisture from the snake's tongue brushing against her bare arm. "Sssso good. I'll enjoy eating you, my dear kitsssune." The snake demon hissed with a pleased look in its cold, unblinking eyes.

"Unfortunately for you, hebi-chan, the only one allowed to eat me is my husband." August replied with a smile.

If there was one thing to be said about fox demons it was that they could turn almost any given situation into a sensual one. August just briefly wondered if the snake youkai knew that he had set himself up for that one and if he had believed that she wouldn't let that comment slide by. "You sssslut!"

Apparently he hadn't realized that she could and would make a comment. "Don't worry. It's not like we're able to breed. Our kids would just be hideous." August commented lightly.

The two moved around each other, striking as if determined to be the one that delivered the final blow. August blinked a couple of times and stepped back as her vision began to swim and double. No… It couldn't… "That'ssss right. Poisssonousss."

She needed to hurry. Panic began grabbing at the woman as she struggled to hurry up, her movements becoming sloppy as the ground began trying to pull itself from beneath her feet. _God no. Not like this. My kids. My mate. My mate will die and what'll happen to our kids? Please not like this._ Her thoughts raced in her mind as she fell to the ground, unable to do anything other than watch as the snake demon approached. "Who wassss it that wasss going to sssshow the other eternity, little kitsssune." The snake demon questioned. "I think I'll ssssample your flessssh before I take your life. Jussst sssso you can feel it."

_Just this once. Just once let me do this._ Closing her eyes, August willed her spirit energy to the seeds that she had so long ago embedded into her flesh, desperately hoping that she and Kurama were strong enough to withstand the consequences of her actions.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He could feel that something was wrong before the pain began. Being a demon, Kurama was no stranger to pain but this pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It shook him to the core, burning and twisting around his insides as if Hiei had unleashed the dragon into his very being. Even then, Kurama wasn't certain that there were words that could accurately describe the pain that he felt.

The day had been going so perfectly too. Now he was on the kitchen floor in agony, his nerves screaming in agony as he arched his back. Something was wrong with August, but what was it? What was going on with his mate that he felt this horrendous pain?

Green eyes closed tightly as he bit back a pained yell, small drops of sweat appearing on his brow. "Hey, Dad, I was-" Sean stopped in his tracks, eyes widening when he saw his father on the floor. "Dad! Dad, what's wrong? Dad?"

"Call. Hiei." Kurama gasped before suppressing another yell.

He watched as his son scrambled to the phone and dialed a number rapidly. "Hiei! Dad's on the floor. He said to call you, I don't know what's going on." Sean said quickly. "I came in and he was on the floor. He's in pain, Hiei! Is something wrong with Mom? Hiei? Hiei? Damn bastard!" Sean threw the phone onto the counter. "He hung up."

Good, Hiei knew that there was something wrong. Kurama could feel his wife's panic before resignation. What was she planning? Please, please don't let her have had a stupid idea that she thought was the last resort.

A cry of pain tore itself from the redhead's lips, his emerald eyes widening as he arched his back and clawed at the floor beneath him. As the world faded into darkness, he could hear his son's terrified cries. He just hoped that they'd be okay with Danielle and Hiei raising them.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"Stupidity must be a kitsune trait."

Kurama groaned softly as he slowly opened his eyes, recognizing where he was. "Danny." Kurama breathed as his eyes focused on the young woman.

"Expecting the boogeyman?"

A weak smile appeared on his face before a sudden jolt of pain went through him. "Where's August? Is she okay?" Kurama demanded.

Danielle sighed softly before sitting down. "Kurama, we don't know. We followed her spirit energy to an alleyway. There was blood, lots of it, and you could tell that there had been some kind of fight."

"She's not dead. If she was dead then I'd be dead too!"

"Honey, I never said that she was dead. I just said that we don't know where August is. There was a body, but that belonged to a snake demon. We've already got the Rekai looking into where she is but I don't think they're going to do a whole lot."

"Akira! That woman's got my wife!"

He tried to get out of bed but found himself being forced back down. "See, Danny? This is why we don't want you to be handling wounded foxes by yourself." Yusuke scolded his cousin as he helped force Kurama back into bed. "Kurama, buddy, you need to settle down. Your body's taken one hell of a beating."

"That bitch has my wife!"

Neither hanyou flinched, each one knowing that Kurama was furious. "Kurama, Hiei and the others are looking for clues right now. We've enlisted the help of Yomi and Mukuro and Enki. We're doing everything we can to find her." Danielle's hands were cool against his feverish forehead. "Now just rest for now, Kurama. You're running a fever and you'll kill yourself if you push yourself too hard."

"But August…"

"Don't worry." Danielle smiled softly. "That crazy bitch put up with me since we were fourteen. There's no way in hell she's going to let some other psychotic bitch kill her so lay back and relax. I've got no qualms about beating the sick and injured."

There was something in her eyes that told Kurama that she would beat him into unconsciousness if he didn't settle down and let his body recover. "I love her." Kurama told Danielle when Yusuke had left. "God kill me if I'm lying."

Danielle smiled softly before answering, "I know you do, fox boy. I wouldn't have shoved you two together after Evan died if I didn't know."

As unconsciousness overtook him once again, Kurama knew that they were all in the hands of those more than capable of making anybody that dared do any of them wrong suffer. With that small bit of comfort, Kurama drifted off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, I'm not so much of a bitch that I'm going to withold chapters cause I want this story out of my head even if I'm basically jabbing my muse with a fork. It's still Friday where I live so technically I'm still good for another hour and fifteen minutes. Had a crappy week which is why this story's the absolute last to get updated so yeah. Hope to see a review before next Friday so read and review, flames are accepted.


	14. Chapter 13

lostmoonchild: Here's chapter thirteen. I actually enjoyed writing it this time so hopefully you guys will be able to tell.

Disclaimer: YYH isn't mine. I do have the first two seasons on DVD though which makes me happy.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

The first thing she noticed was pain. Years of training and living in the Makai had told her to pay attention to her surroundings but still the first thing she noticed upon awakening was the pain she felt. Her pain and Kurama's. The two of them were hurting and she didn't know if her husband had been attacked or if he was merely hurting because she hurt.

August moaned softly as she looked up and saw the woman standing before her with a look of supremacy written clearly upon her face. "Akira." August said softly.

"You two thought I wouldn't get my revenge." Akira said softly. "You were wrong."

"It was a mission."

"It was murder!"

The scent of tears reached the fox demon's nose before she saw the silent tears that fell. "You're blaming us for a mission that was issued to us by the Reikai." August said softly. "If you want somebody to blame, then blame Koenma for giving us the mission."

The woman turned her head as Akira threw a mirror at her, hissing when the shards cut her. The scratches would heal in a short while but that didn't mean that they didn't hurt. "He was saying the same thing, you know. He refused to break no matter what I did to him." Akira said softly. "Will you break, I wonder? I should have known to go immediately for the source of my misery. When you two die, I can move on. I can be happy."

Somehow she doubted the woman would ever be happy. She was clearly insane and nothing would change that fact. "Look, you don't want to do this. I mean, Danny's already determined to have your head for fucking around with Hiei and then turning around and killing her mother." August tried to reason. "Danny may not have cared for her mother but I've never seen the crazy bitch so upset over the old crazy bitch dying."

"I don't care! She'll know the pain that I feel whenever I think of what I could have had. Why should a half-breed have everything that I can't?"

August was silent for a moment before answering, "Because those born into misery deserve every single moment of happiness that comes their way. We've already looked into your family, Akira. You had a happy childhood. You had everything handed to you on a silver platter whereas the people you've been making suffer deserved every moment of happiness that ever came their way."

"Liar!"

"You hate Danny because she has everything you want. She fought like hell for what she has now." August snarled. "So what if she killed your would-be-mate? That bastard didn't love you and you know it. You're just pissed because she saved you from a level of misery you wouldn't have been able to stand."

Tears stung her eyes as she felt something sting and warm liquid trickle down her cheek. "Don't you dare say anything you don't understand." Akira snarled.

"I might have held the door shut on you, lady, but I'm far from stupid."

A scream tore itself from her lips as a searing pain shot from her left hand, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at the bleeding stump that used to have her hand. "We'll see how your husband and friends respond to this." Akira snarled with a smirk. "That whore's man was too nice to maim too badly. You're just perfect to chop up into tiny pieces."

Gasps left her lips as August felt herself going into shock, her eyes never leaving the bloodied stump. She could see her fingers twitching slightly before coming to a complete rest in her peripheral vision before everything faded away into darkness.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Maya closed her eyes tightly and covered her ears as she listened to her father's pained cry. She could feel Sean and Aaron's bodies pressing against her as they tried to soothe each other. Aaron had already been through this during his father's absence but somehow it was more painful to listen to. Maybe it was because Kurama was one of the toughest fighters they knew and to hear him screaming made him seem more human.

Red-violet eyes flickered to Hiei's face, seeing that he was getting anxious. The bonds that mates had wasn't something to be taken lightly and they were all seeing one of the downsides to having such a strong bond. "I swear to every higher power in existence that I'm going to kill the lowlife bitch." Danielle snarled when Kurama's screams finally stopped.

"How's Dad?" Sean asked anxiously.

"He's unconscious but he'll be fine." Danielle sighed softly. "You kids go to the other room and watch some cartoons or something. Yukina and I need to talk to these morons."

She was only name calling because she was anxious and scared. Hiei reached for his mate and nuzzled her neck, breathing in the slightly changed scent that his mate now carried. "He was holding his wrist like something had happened." Yukina said softly as she let Kuwabara hug her tightly.

"Damn bitch took August's hand. I don't need to have their marks to know when somebody's fucking maiming my teammates."

"Danny, we don't even know where she is." Yusuke tried to reason.

"Fuck that! You can't pretend that you're not bothered by watching one of the strongest demons in our little band of misfits scream like a child. For Christ's sake, Yusuke, we had to fucking tie him down!"

"I'm with Urameshi. Blowing places apart doesn't seem that smart." Kuwabara offered.

The tall man held his ground when the agitated hanyou glared at him. "Don't fuck with me today, Kuwabara. Pissed and pregnant don't work together."

"Hold on a minute! You're pregnant?" Yusuke demanded.

"That's what generally what happens when two people of the opposite sex decide to fuck each other." Danielle snarled.

"You're not going after Akira if you're pregnant."

"Don't tell me what to do. Don't you fucking tell me what to do."

Even if she wasn't saying every other sentence with a swear word, Hiei was fairly certain that it was obvious that the woman was indeed irritated. She had taken a liking to Kurama and to see him hurting was one thing but August was like a sister and he was fairly certain that she'd tear the Reikai apart just to bail August out of the Reikai's jail. "Onna," Hiei said firmly, "settle down. Your anger isn't going to be good for the baby."

_Slap!_

Ruby eyes widened in shock as his cheek stung, seeing the fury that lingered in Danielle's eyes. "Don't start with me, Hiei. Don't you start with me either." Danielle said as tears gathered in her eyes. "August's a sister to me and I swear I'll kill everybody that hurt her."

As he hugged his wife tightly, Hiei ignored his brother-in-law's comments about not needing to see them get mushy and resisted the urge to slit Yusuke's throat at the comment that followed quickly by. He didn't know why he had to put up with those two idiots for the two women in his life that he loved but he knew that he'd make sure they were happy. "She'll be fine, onna." Hiei said softly. "The baka kitsune will be fine. They'll both be okay."

He just wished that he believed everything that he told her.

* * *

lostmoonchild: And remarkably I have next week's chapter already done. Usually I'll get the chapter's done either the day of the update or the day before but never a week in advance. Must be because we're finally getting to the good parts. Anyway, read and review.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Memory said that she didn't like to be touched in the early stages of her pregnancy but Hiei didn't care. He could feel his mate's tears soaking through his shirt as he held her tightly, trying desperately to soothe her fears and anger. At least this time he had found out about her pregnancy in a better manner than he had found out about her first pregnancy. The second pregnancy had more or less been a surprise on both their parts since the woman hadn't experienced any of the symptoms that she had experienced with Aaron. Now it seemed as if she was experiencing the symptoms all over again.

Crimson eyes flickered to the door and saw Aaron standing hesitantly outside. "You can come in." Hiei said patiently to the boy.

Aaron darted over to them and nestled against his parents, breathing in their comforting scents. There was something off about his mother's… something familiar. "When's the baby due?" Aaron asked suddenly.

He felt his mother jolt slightly before relaxing again. "How'd you come to that conclusion?" Danielle questioned softly.

"I heard you guys talking."

Some part of him said that he should be upset that his son had been eavesdropping but he couldn't find it in him. It just meant that the boy had time to wrap his head around the idea that he was going to be a big brother again and hopefully he knew that they wouldn't let anything happen to the baby.

Aaron closed his eyes as he felt his mother's hand press his head against her chest, letting him listen to the steady thump-thump of her heart. His mother's heartbeat had always been his favorite lullaby and knew that the baby would fall in love with the steady beats. "So what do you think about becoming a big brother?" Hiei questioned.

"I don't want a new baby. I want Memori."

She would have been worried if the boy had met the idea with absolutely no resistance. Danielle knew that Aaron had adored his baby sister and had doted on her hand and foot. After her death, she had known that her son had been broken up and had been relieved when he finally began to slowly tape together the world that she had tried so hard to keep together for him. "We're not replacing Memori." Danielled soothed softly. "This baby will have his or her own place in our family. It won't take Memori's place."

"You can't promise that!" Aaron protested. "You can't promise that you'll love the baby the same as you loved Memori!"

The anger she had felt earlier that day washed away as she looked at the pain in her son's eyes. His little world was still thrown off its axis and he was trying desperately to fix it. How could she make him see that she loved all her children the same regardless of if they were in this world or the next?

Sensing his wife's distress, Hiei put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I don't know what Memori's favorite color was or what she liked to play with, but I do know that she was your entire world. Part of grief is knowing when to stop." Hiei told him.

Anger flashed in Aaron's eyes before he pressed his ear harder against his mother's breast. "I still don't want a new baby." Aaron repeated softly, as if trying to convince himself that it was wrong.

His eyes closed as his mother's fingers brushed through his hair. "How's Sean and Maya?" Danielle asked softly.

"They're scared that Kurama and August are gonna die." Aaron responded simply. "They don't want to live with anybody but their parents. I told them not to worry since you guys will find their mom."

"Such a good boy." Danielle murmured softly. "We must have done something right with you."

"Yeah. Must have."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

They were going to be sick.

Yusuke felt his stomach churn violently as he stared at the severed limb, now pale from the lack of blood. Kuwabara's face was green as he stared, trying to deny what it was that they were all looking at now. "What kind of sick bastard…" Yusuke tried but trailed off. "I'm gonna go get Hiei and Danny."

"You can't leave me alone with it!"

"It's-" Yusuke suddenly stopped, unable to finish his sentence. It's August's hand, he wanted to say but he couldn't. Saying it aloud would make it true. It would be admitting that they were facing somebody that was both insane and knew exactly what they were doing.

"Let's both go."

Shaking, Yusuke covered the box before they quickly hurried to get Danielle and Hiei. He inwardly cringed as they passed the room where Kurama was, knowing that the kitsune was drugged to the point that recognizing any of them was no longer immediately possible. If he looked inside the room then he knew that he'd see the kitsune's brilliant green eyes either closed or staring emptily into the distance.

It was for his own good and for the good of the children. He could still see the tear-streaked faces of the twins as they listened to their father's stifled screams. Only when they started drugging him into a stupor did they relax slightly. It wasn't right but it was the only way that they could immediately help Kurama.

Yusuke hoped desperately that the drugs they were giving Kurama was also reaching August through their bond. If that was the case then there was still hope. If not… Yusuke cringed and shoved the thought aside. "Hiei. Danny. There's something you two need to see." Yusuke said with a solemn look as he pushed the door open uncaring if they caught the two in the middle of whatever act.

"Hai, hai." Danielle said softly as she pushed herself up. "Stay put, Aaron."

"I wanna see."

Kuwabara shook his head at his nephew. "Sorry, Aaron, but you'd better stay here." Kuwabara said with solemn look.

Concern flashed on Danielle's face as she touched Kuwabara's forehead, searching for a fever. "You okay, baka? You look a little green." Danielel murmured.

"We got something from Akira."

Hiei darted off the bed and went out to the living room with the others. The scent of blood and decay reached his nose and he felt his body stiffen when he picked up undertones of a familiar scent. "Yusuke?" Hiei heard Danielle ask, feeling her fingers hold onto his arm tightly. "Is that…"

Yusuke gave a solemn nod before answering, "Yeah. The psychotic bitch sent August's hand."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Silent screams left August's lips as she felt the white-hot metal break though her skin and dig into the violently twitching muscle beneath. Tears rolled down her face as she felt her body twitch once the metal had been pulled away but still she refused to break. Her thoughts went to her mate and children, wondering and praying desperately that they were okay. She needed to survive. Sean and Maya needed their parents.

Defiance showed on her face as Akira forced her to look at her. "Why won't you just give up?" Akira asked softly. "Why?"

"Why in the hell should I?" August asked after a couple of attempts to make her voice work. "Why should I give in to _you_?"

The familiar coppery taste filled her mouth as her head met the wall, her teeth tearing her tongue and cheeks. As she watched the other woman leave the room through half-lidded eyes, August felt consciousness leave her and welcomed to painless peace that followed.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I have next week's done and up so we'll see you guys next week. Read and review, complaints welcome.


	16. Chapter 15

lostmoonchild: Okay, I dunno if anybody's even bothering with this but I'm just gonna make the announcement anyway. Earlier this week I had a job interview and I got a job being a nanny. Because of that job I'm gonna be gone from the house and my computer for a few days a week so updating might get a little hectic. I will, however, be updating either on Thursdays or Saturdays if my schedule won't let me update on Fridays. With that said, here's chapter fifteen.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Energy moving. That was their only clue, one that they hadn't had before when they were looking for Hiei. Akira must have been furious to forget to conceal her energy long enough for them to track her down. "Don't mess up. Kurama isn't here to clean up after you two." Hiei growled at Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"Hey! We can handle ourselves!" Kuwabara protested as he glared at his brother-in-law. Really, how could his beloved Yukina be related to this pain and what exactly did Danielle see in Hiei?

Deciding those were questions that may be left unanswered, Kuwabara focused his attention to the task at hand. "So August's in that place." Yusuke said softly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Okay, guys, our main objective is to get August the hell out of there so we can get her medical attention. Akira's gonna be coming to us sooner or later and from how pissed she's getting, it's going to be sooner."

Hiei wanted to make a snide comment but his thoughts were focusing on his wife's face. Even after reminding her that he would be forever hers there was still a small doubt within her mind that he'd leave her. He didn't know how to make her completely believe that he couldn't willingly leave her. Gods, just what had her mother done to get her that messed up?

The three began their descent towards the small fortress, each one having a feeling that August would be locked up either in the basement or in a room with seals on it. "Wouldn't it be hurtful to Akira if she put wards all over the room?" Kuwabara questioned. "I mean, she's a demon too and demons generally don't get along with wards."

He was thinking of the burn scars that still lingered on Yukina's wrists. Hiei bit back a growl at the memory of being forced to let that damned human live but in the end justice had been done. That insane ningen had hired the Toguro brothers to kill Yukina's captors although Hiei knew that it wasn't for Yukina. That Sakyo had his own agenda which had damn near followed him completely to the grave.

Hiei looked at the tall human before answering, "There's a chance the onna's insane enough to handle wards and not care that she's getting hurt."

The chance seemed pretty good now that they had gotten a chance to figure out the level of the woman's insanity although now that they thought about it there really hadn't been any reason to kill off Danielle's mother. Of course in a sense Akira had done Danielle's mother a favor and saved her from a long and painful death. It was just an unexpected result that Danielle had gotten upset over the whole event but clearly not upset enough for Akira's tastes.

Yusuke smirked as they slipped into the building, their hearts racing as their breaths echoed off the dark stone walls. The air was cold and wet, chilling them to the bone. Not even Hiei was immune to the cold although he noted with displeasure that the two idiots with him seemed to be moving just a bit closer. Were they actually being serious? "Either you two idiots back off or so help me I'll kill the both of you and say that Akira did it." Hiei growled softly.

Immediately Yusuke and Kuwabara backed away from him. They hadn't even realized that they were getting close to the temperamental demon until he had threatened them. "Sorry, man. You're just warm and this place is colder than hell." Yusuke grinned slightly.

Hiei snorted before drawing his katana and glancing off to the side. "Follow me." Hiei said with more patience than he felt.

The three men jumped out of the way when they heard a roaring followed by constant crashing. "That this is ug-ah-lee!" Yusuke shouted when they saw the source of the roaring.

The creature roared as saliva dripped from its pointed teeth, it's yellow eyes darting around as it searched frantically for them. Kuwabara made a disgusted noise as he watched the slime that coated its green, scaly skin drip onto the stone floor. "Disgusting." Kuwabara said with a look of revulsion on his face.

"Now you know what Hiei's gotta put up with in the morning." Yusuke joked as he gathered his spirit energy to his fingertip.

"One more comment like that about my mate and I'll kill you myself." Hiei growled dangerously.

Yusuke laughed a bit before firing his spirit gun, his smile vanishing when the creature roared and dissipated the attack. "What the hell?" Yusuke shouted.

Hiei growled as he moved to attack the creature, trying to keep ahead of its movements. He grunted as the creature turned around, hitting him with its tail. Danielle would not be happy when she saw the slime on his clothes. "How do you like my pet? He's very, very hungry right now." Akira said as she stepped out from the shadows.

Kuwabara moved to attack the creature only to get hit as well. "Having an animal fight your battles, lady?" Yusuke demanded.

"Fluffy just wants to play."

That thing's name was Fluffy? Could there really have been any greater oxymoron than that? "That thing's got no fur! There's no way in hell you can be serious about it's name being Fluffy!" Yusuke shouted at her.

Akira laughed, sending chills down their spines as they watched her pet the slimy creature. "Why wouldn't I be serious, Detective? He's alive, just as you are for the moment. He exists so why should he not have a name?" Akira asked lightly. "All three of you exist because I'm allowing you to so why should Fluffy be deprived of a name?"

Hiei gripped his katana tightly before charging at the woman, dodging Fluffy's attack. "Don't be a coward." Hiei growled softly.

Her body swayed softly as she looked at them through half-closed eyes, a smile across her face. "My fight isn't with you three. The one I want isn't here. Why is that, I wonder." Akira questioned.

She laughed as she dodged Kuwabara's spirit sword, her eyes dancing with excitement. "Stupid human. You got lucky before but I won't make the same mistakes twice." Akira laughed.

"Hold still so we can hit you, you bitch!" Yusuke shouted as he fired his spirit gun only to have Fluffy take the shot. "And call off your pet while you're at it!"

"Fluffy, attack!" She smiled at them before answering, "I'll be sure to give who I want your regards, Hiei. I'm sure you'll both be seeing each other and that little boy of yours in hell."

Hiei growled as he charged after the woman, his attention returning to the slimy creature that was now snarling and baring its glistening teeth. This thing was going to die and then that damnable woman was going to suffer a slow death. As his crimson eyes focused on the large, bulky creature with yellowed eyes, he knew that the creature would need to die first before they could do anything.

Couching down, Hiei prepared himself for an attack.

* * *

lostmoonchild: There's chapter fifteen. Read and review!


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

She really couldn't have asked for a plan to go better than what it was. Three of the irritants were busy and two of them were incapable of defending themselves. While she knew she could have killed the fox demons there was just no pleasure to be found in a quick death. No, let them suffer. The woman would die soon enough and her mate would follow closely behind.

As Akira moved, she also kept an eye out for any one of those irritating detectives. While she didn't think that they'd be able to get past Fluffy so easily, she also didn't think that they'd be willing to abandon one of their own. If they had reacted beautifully when they had seen her present then there was no chance that they'd immediately go after her.

No, she was free to go after the people they cherished the most. Laughing as she ran faster towards her destination, Akira hurried onwards looking forward to the ones that she wanted to hurt the most.

}+{}+{}+{

It bothered her to know that she and Yukina were the only ones holding down the fort. She wouldn't ask the children to fight but instead she'd tell them to run. Yukina would need to run too and take Kurama with them.

Danielle shook her head as she tried to tell herself that she was being foolish. How could she possibly think such negative things? She smiled softly as she rested her hands on her lower abdomen, knowing that a child was now growing within her. Everything would be okay and if the Fates tried to make it any other way, come hell or high water she'd make everything okay by force. If she didn't do it for her or Hiei, then she sure as hell would make everything okay for their children.

None of them could handle their worlds being torn apart. Not again. If they could live the rest of their lives without some idiot trying to kill one of them then she'd ask for nothing else. Of course she knew full well as she looked into the distance that the future she longed for was never meant to be.

{+}{+}{+}{+}

Kuwabara focused his spirit sword as he heard Yusuke's spirit gun charging behind him. He could remember the first time they had done this and he was going to be grateful if it didn't hurt this time around. Of course if he did get hurt then he was going to look forward to his wife's touches as she healed him. Maybe they would even-

"Get those damned thoughts out of your head." Hiei growled as he crouched down. He didn't need to hear the baka's thoughts on Yukina's touches and what he was hoping they'd do when the kids were all asleep.

"Stay out of my head if you don't want to hear what I'm thinking then." Kuwabara shot back with an irritated look.

"Guys! Monster first!" Yusuke shouted at them.

Hiei snorted slightly before crouching down, getting ready for the attack. As Yusuke fired his spirit gun, Hiei quickly darted in front of the now spirit gun propelled Kuwabara and swung at Fluffy's clawed hands. A roar of pain left the creature's lips as it drew back, its yellowed eyes widening in shock as the glowing sword was embedded into its neck just as its clawed hands fell to the stone floor with a couple of thuds.

Kuwabara pulled back, disgust crossing his features as the nearly black blood sprayed over them as Fluffy collapsed backwards, its yellowed eyes wide and empty. "Ugh that stinks." Yusuke grumbled as they continued their search for August. "That damn bitch's gonna get it when we get our hands on her."

While Hiei agreed with Yusuke he realized that there really was no point in him getting upset over something that he couldn't control at the moment. They could have split up but none of them were too eager to face the psychotic woman by themselves. It was just a matter of if they could get to August and back to the temple before Akira got there and since they'd be dealing with an injured fox as well as the baka that Yukina married, Hiei doubted they'd even get a quarter of the way.

"If she goes back for the others, isn't Danny going to be the only one that'll actually fight? I mean, Kurama's hurt and Yukina's not a fighter." Kuwabara stated thoughtfully. "Although there's the kids."

"But Danny's not going to let them fight. You know Danny's temperament when it comes to getting back at whoever pissed her off." Yusuke answered as he rolled his eyes.

They searched the area until they came to a locked door. The wood was dark and heavy from the damp air and with a single kick came crashing in. Within the dark room the scent of blood and tears overcame them. "August?" Yusuke called as they entered the room.

Slowly looking up, a pair of worn eyes stared at them through a mess of hair that had shone so brightly in the sun. "Hey, guys. What took ya?" August asked weakly.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Through the haze of the drugs Kurama could feel the relief that his mate felt and knew somehow that they had found her. His friends hadn't let them down. His children would have their mother home soon and he'd be able to hold his wife tightly. Everything would be okay in just a little while.

At least that's what he wanted to believe. Even through the haze he knew that something was terribly wrong. There was anxiety as Yukina checked on him and the children came in to sit with him. What was going on that was making them all so anxious?

Kurama slowly blinked as his emerald eyes went blurry for a moment before focusing slightly. He was going to have to remember to ask Danielle how she had gotten her hands on those damned drugs without getting caught but first he'd find out how in the hell she had so many damned needles and knew how to inject the drugs.

Anybody, he supposed, would know how to inject drugs into the body but there was something about how she was handling the needles that told him that she had done it before. Was it possible that she had decided to check out for a while when she lived with her mother? August never said anything about that so was it possible that she had done it before they had even met?

No, she wouldn't have bothered trying to check out like that. If Danielle had decided to check out from reality she would have turned to her paints instead of resorting to drugs. She couldn't have and yet he still found himself wondering if she had. Should he ask or should he keep his questions to himself? If he did ask and he was wrong then he'd probably get the daylights beaten out of him but if he asked and he was right… What would happen? Would he still get the living daylights beaten out of him or would she get a panicked look in her eyes and plead for him to keep his mouth shut?

The room spun slightly as he distantly heard an explosion before the children came running into the room with Yukina quickly following behind. "Mom's gonna kick her butt. You'll see." Aaron said when Maya whimpered about how they were going to die. "Dad wouldn't have chosen Mom if she wasn't strong and there's no way she's gonna let that crazy bitch go anywhere near us."

Who… Kurama felt his eyes grow heavy as another wave washed over him. August was safe. Please let her feel the effects of the drugs through their bond so he wasn't having to go through the day stoned out of his mind. Better yet… let the drugs wear off so he could fight against the woman that had kidnapped his mate.

Until then he supposed that he should enjoy the show that was currently playing in the corner of the room. He just wondered where the fairies and unicorns came from and why there was an elf doing some kind of jig around the unicorn. After the show he'd figure it out but until then, let the elf continue dancing.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Yeah, Kurama seeing fairies and unicorns is a major "WTF?" but it made me laugh. R&R!


	18. Chapter 17

lostmoonchild: Yay, there's a review! I actually checked twice to make sure my eyes aren't playing tricks on me so THANK YOU! Seriously, you made my whole day with that one review. So here's chapter seventeen for this week.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH so don't sue!

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

She had known from the beginning that the past always came back to bite people in the ass. Whether or not jalapeno Tabasco sauce was involved or not was always up for debate. When it came to the past biting them in the butt with jalapeno Tabasco sauce, it got through the skin and dumped salt into the gaping wounds. If there was anything that hurt more than that then she couldn't say that she knew what it was. So far the only thing she could think of was salt in a jalapeno Tabasco sauce induced bite.

Danielle twisted away from the other woman's attacks, red-violet eyes watching every move with caution. "You must be Akira." Danielle said patiently as she stood up as tall as she could.

"You would be correct. I already know who you are, Danielle. I know what you are. Who you were. How you came to be. I even know that you were unloved by Mommy and Daddy both. You didn't cry when Hiei killed Daddy, did you? You just cried with I killed Mommy." Akira smiled coolly. "A half-breed begging for a filthy human's affections. That's absolutely disgusting. You knew she wouldn't give you any of her love and yet you still strove to be a daughter she could be proud of. Stupid little girl."

Why was it bad guys were convinced to piss off the good guys? Then again the positions as good and bad guys were simply the opinions of the parties involved. A bad guy could think that they were the good guys and vise versa. No, it was just a matter of opinion and it was her opinion that Akira was one of the bad guys. "Hello, Akira. Finally nice to meet the whore that decided to fuck my husband and attempt to kill my best friend." Danielle said lightly. "You're going to die, you know. These poor bastards are mine and I hate it when idiots like you try to take them away from me. When that happens I tend to get very violent."

"Don't worry, you'll be able to talk to them in hell." Akira replied with a smile. "Although I do have to admit that Hiei was a good fuck."

A furious scream tore itself from her lips as Danielle attacked, flames dancing around her hands. The world was red as she attempted to kill the woman, all of the pain that she had locked away over the years breaking through the dam that had been held together with only glue.

Akira dodged each of her flaming attacks, responding with attacks of her own. She wasn't going to lose. She was going to rid herself of everything that she had felt for years even if it killed her.

Growls left Danielle's lips as she dodged an explosion, the force of the explosion forcing her back. Her thoughts raced to the children as well as Yukina and Kurama before settling on everybody else. Would they make it here in time? Could she handle surviving for Hiei to survive?

The woman ducked just as there was a glint of metal in the light, her eyes widening in pain as she felt something slide into her shoulder and pin her against the ground. Some part of her screamed to just pull away but she could feel where the blade was. If she so much as attempted to pull herself away from the blade, her shoulder would be disconnected and would only be held onto her body by the muscle and skin beneath her arm. Dear gods why was this happening?

Her vision swam as she felt Akira's breath against her lips, tasting the blood. "You and your friends have caused me such problems." Akira breathed softly. "Are you incapable of realizing how much pain you've caused the loved ones of those whom you've murdered in cold blood?"

"I was ordered to." Danielle panted.

"You keep trying to convince yourself of that. You hate going with orders, you bitch, you know it. The only reason why you even agreed to kill all of those people is because you want to kill but you don't dare go against human laws."

Danielle grunted in pain when Akira dug her nails into the bleeding wound, biting back a scream. "Get off of my mother!"

Danielle's eyes widened in shock and a gasp escaped her lips as the blade was suddenly pulled from her shoulder. She could see the anger in Aaron's eyes that burned like the flames that his father controlled so well. "Aaron! Get out of here!" Danielle shouted.

"No! I'm not going to let you die!" Aaron shouted at his mother. "If you die then Dad's going to die! I don't want to be an orphan, Mom. I don't want to lose you or Dad or even the baby!"

Akira's eyes narrowed as she glared at the boy with hateful eyes. How dare he get involved now. "Are you determined to die, little boy?" Akira questioned softly. "Your daddy isn't here to save your disgusting hide and your mommy's power is nothing because of that little mistake in her womb."

"Don't talk about my baby brother or sister like that!" Aaron shouted angrily. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Don't make promises that other people are going to make a reality for themselves."

Aaron's eyes widened as he stared at the wall of flames that separated him from Akira. "I'm not dead yet." Danielle stated as she got to her feet. "Didn't anybody ever tell you not to change opponents if the one you were fighting first is still alive?"

"Go to hell, you dead bitch!"

Aaron stepped back as the flames grew hotter, the air becoming almost unbearable to breathe. "I'm not dead yet." Danielle said softly. "Come on, Akira. We both know you want me to suffer like your sweetheart did. I enjoyed killing him. If I had more time, if you hadn't been banging around in that damned bathroom like you had been, I would have painted the walls with his intestines."

A furious scream left Akira's lips as she charged only to stare in shock when a black flash appeared between the two women, preventing her from attacking. "Heh, what took you so long?" Danielle asked shakily with a small smile. "We were just about to have a full blown make out session here."

"Save your lesbian fantasies for when you're reincarnated, onna." Hiei growled lightly. "Boy, get to your mother."

"I want to kill her, Hiei. Give her to me." Akira said softly.

"No. She's my wife and she belongs to nobody but me."

She'd beat him later for referring to her as property but for right now she'd just be grateful that he showed up. "Where's August?" Danielle asked.

"With the Detective and the baka." Hiei responded. "They're coming as fast as they can with her injuries the way they are."

Red clouded her vision as Danielle glared hatefully at the now laughing Akira. "Aaron, go to the guys and show them where to stick August." Danielle said patiently.

"You're going with, onna." Hiei snapped at her.

"What the hell? I can still fight."

"Yes, your shoulder reflects how well you can fight with the baby sucking up your spirit energy."

"Not my fault every kid you've gotten me knocked up with is a leech for the first few months." Danielle took her son's hand and stepped back with him. "Come on, sweetheart. Daddy's gonna kill the whore and we don't want to be around when he shows off his darker half."

Hiei snorted in a combination of amusement and distain, his crimson eyes focusing plainly on the woman that stood before him. Drawing his katana, Hiei watched the woman before smirking to himself. He was going to enjoy every moment of this while the wretch was still alive. Once she was dead then he'd be free to live happily with his family for the rest of his life.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

They had thought for a moment that the two charging towards them was Akira until they recognized the two. "What in the hell are you two doing here?" Yusuke shouted.

"Hiei sent us to take you guys to where you're supposed to take August. Don't worry, everybody's safe. Aaron just decided to go off halfcocked and got into a small scuffle with Akira." Danielle answered before touching August's face. "Hey, baka mesunokitsune, wake up."

August's eyelids fluttered slightly and she smiled faintly when she saw Danielle. "Half-breed… are we dead yet?" August questioned.

"Nope."

"Fuck."

"Language, missy." There was relief on Danielle's face as she looked at the two men. "Come on. We'll have to sneak around Akira and Hiei but we can get to where everybody else is."

"Lead the way."

Nodding slightly, Danielle turned and started leading them to where Yukina and the others were waiting with anxiety on their features. Once they got August to safety, Danielle swore that she'd be back into the fight and she'd help her husband destroy the source of his pain.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, there's like one or two chapters left in the story before it's completely done. Thanks again for the review and I hope to see another wonderful review! Read and review, flames are accepted!


	19. Chapter 18

lostmoonchild: I'm happy! This is the final chapter of this little fic so I'm happy to be done with it.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH so don't sue me.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

They had known before that their mother had been injured but they hadn't thought that their mother had been this injured. They hadn't even realized that Danielle had been injured until they saw her come in with the others. "Put her next to Kurama." Yukina told her husband. "Danny, you're hurt too!"

"Take care of August. My injuries aren't that bad." Danielle told the koorime.

"If we fail, I want you guys to run." Yusuke told them. "No ifs, ands, or buts."

Danielle smiled faintly at her cousin, knowing full well that he knew she wouldn't be going anywhere. If Hiei died, she'd follow closely behind. "Let's go kick her ass." Danielle said with a determined look.

"No! Mommy, please stay here!"

Her heart clenched tightly as she looked at her son, seeing the absolute fear in his eyes. "My brave, brave boy." Danielle murmured softly as she hugged him tightly. "You don't need to be afraid of anything. Your father and I have no intention to leave you."

"Mom, please! I'll keep you safe!"

"Honey, Aunt Yukina needs you to help take care of Kurama and August. You kids need to survive by any means necessary, understood?"

Aaron nodded slightly, watching out of the corner of his eye as Sean and Maya nodded in response to Danielle's words. "I love you, Mom." Aaron murmured.

"I love you too."

He didn't wipe his forehead when his mother kissed him. "They'll be okay." Sean said with a determined look as he helped clean the dried blood from his mother's skin. "You'll see. We've got the toughest parents on the planet."

Aaron nodded slightly and held Maya tightly as she began to cry. He didn't know how they were going to get past all this but they'd find a way. In stories, didn't the good guys always win anyway?

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He was determined to win and from how her eyes would flash in irritation as they exchanged blows, she was determined to win as well. Unfortunately for her there could be only one winner and he'd be damned if it wasn't him that won.

The two demons twisted around each other as they continued to exchange blows, flames dancing across the air and scorching the grass below. Kurama was going to be pissed when he saw the grass but at the moment a pissed off fox was the last thing on Hiei's mind. "Just give up. You know I always get what I want." Akira sneered.

Hiei smirked at the woman before responding, "And yet I still don't belong to you. It must really infuriate you that a half-breed has something that you don't."

He jumped back in time to dodge Yusuke's spirit gun, crimson eyes dancing dangerously at the former detective. "Nice, Hiei!" Yusuke shouted as he and Kuwabara rushed over to them.

"When this is over, Detective, you're dead." Hiei growled with a frown.

Yusuke waved away the fire demon's threat and grinned. He was fairly certain that he wasn't going to be killed but his attention quickly went back to the woman that was glaring at them with such a hateful look that all of them were grateful looks couldn't kill. "This is so wrong!" Kuwabara said with an annoyed look. "Men do _not_ fight women!"

"Yeah, that's why Danny hands you your ass every other week." Yusuke retorted as he fired his spirit gun at the woman again. "Right now's not the time to be doing this, Kuwabara!"

Insanity showed in Akira's eyes as she charged at them, uncaring whenever she'd get hit. The blade she held in her hand glinted in the sunlight as the sound of metal striking metal vibrated through the air, her face close to Hiei's. "Damned bastard!" Akira screamed.

"Keep her from getting to the others!" Hiei shouted to Yusuke and Kuwabara.

There was no need for them to get involved in such a trivial matter such as this. The two demons flitted around each other with their blades striking against each other in a desperate attempt to wound the other. Hiei thought of his mate and children; living, dead, and unborn. He hadn't been there for them because of this woman. He had lost the connection with his son that was now so fragile that he almost didn't know what to do. He hadn't gotten to meet his daughter and now she was in the one place that he couldn't go to get her. Now he had an unborn child and he'd be damned if he let that child die without first taking his or her first breath in this world.

With a burst of strength, Hiei swung and shattered the woman's blade before jumping away. There was shock on Akira's face as blood dribbled from an unseen wound across her neck before she dropped the sword in her hand. Her head rolled off of her shoulders and fell to the ground just as her body collapsed. "Damn! I suppose we'd better get rid of the body before someone sees." Yusuke said with a cautious look. "We don't want the kids to come out and see it."

As Hiei stared at the body, he wondered for a moment if he should have felt anything. Happiness that the woman that had captured and raped him was dead, relief that his family was safe… anything. He knew that he should have felt something but all he felt was emptiness.

Starting the body on fire, Hiei went inside and to the others, holding his wife and son tightly before looking at his sister. She smiled to him and waited until Danielle and Aaron had pulled away before hugging her brother. Her children watched quietly before going to hug their uncle. When Kuwabara and Yusuke came in, both children darted over to their father and hugged him tightly as their mother joined them. "It's over now, right?" Danielle asked softly.

"Yes."

"Good. Because I would have been pissed if you had gotten your ass handed to you."

As their lips met in a tender kiss, Danielle suddenly pulled back with a gasp. "What?" There was caution in Aaron's eyes as he looked at his mother. "Mom, what's wrong?"

Danielle smiled faintly before answering softly, "I never did get that painting done."

"Onna."

"Hmm?"

Hiei wrapped his arms around his wife's waist before growling softly, "Forget that damn painting."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

August laughed as she watched the small red-eyed child stand wobbly, holding onto Aaron and Maya's hands as if her life depended on it. "Come on, Daija. Onii-san's got you." Aaron cooed.

"Me too!" Maya chirped happily.

August's eyes fell on her mate, seeing the look of happiness in his eyes as he stroked her swollen belly. Next to them she could see the other couples watching with varying degrees of entertainment. "No! Go!" Daija protested as she pulled her hands away from her brother and Maya.

Both children watched before Aaron darted a couple of feet in front of his little sister. "Come on, Daija. Come to big brother." Aaron said as he reached his hands out.

Daija looked at Aaron for a moment before taking a shaky step towards him then another until she fell forward and into his arms. "Yay!" Everybody clapped for the toddler.

Aaron handed his sister over to their parents, watching as his mother nuzzled the little girl's chubby cheeks before he was pulled into the hug. "I love you both so much." Danielle told them.

"Mama!" Daija squealed before wiggling from her mother's grasp in favor of sitting nestled against her father. "Dada!"

Before this, none of them would have believed this reality to be anything more than a dream. Now that they were here and sitting together as one large family, they knew that they would never have it any other way.

~*~*~*~*~End~*~*~*~*~

* * *

lostmoonchild: And that's a wrap! I had fun writing the chapter and I'd like to thank everybody that's read this this fic and left a review. If someone favorited it or put it on an alert (seriously can't remember) thanks. Read and review, ja ne!


End file.
